Screen Gems had a problem in the late sixties. The Monkees were basically imploding as a TV unit, and the teenybopper market—which is where the real money lives—was suddenly up for grabs. They needed a new face. A specific kind of face. One that looked good on a lunchbox but could actually carry a scene. Enter the 1968 ABC western-comedy, a show loosely based on the real-life Mercer Girls story. But let’s be real: people weren't tuning in for the historical accuracy of 19th-century Seattle. They were watching for the stuttering, shy, and incredibly charismatic youngest Bolt brother. Here come the brides Bobby Sherman wasn't just a casting choice; it was a cultural pivot point that turned a struggling actor into a gold-certified recording artist and a permanent fixture on the bedroom walls of a generation.
The Bolt Brothers and the Seattle Gamble
The premise was simple, if a bit weird for a modern audience. Jason Bolt (Robert Brown) owns a logging camp in Seattle. His loggers are ready to quit because there are no women around. To save his business, Jason heads to New Bedford, Massachusetts, to recruit 100 marriageable women to come out West. If they stay a year, he keeps his mountain. If they leave, he loses everything.
Bobby Sherman played Jeremy Bolt.
Jeremy was the youngest. He was sensitive. He had a persistent stutter that Sherman actually fought to keep consistent and respectful, rather than a caricature. While David Soul (who played middle brother Joshua) was the "cool" one, Bobby was the one you wanted to protect. It’s a classic archetype. Screen Gems took a gamble on Sherman, who had previously been a regular on Shindig!, and the payoff was immediate. By the time the first season was midway through, the mailbags at ABC were overflowing. Most of it was addressed to Bobby.
Why Jeremy Bolt Was Different
In the rough-and-tumble world of 1960s TV westerns, men were expected to be stoic. You had the Cartwrights over on Bonanza and the Barkleys on The Big Valley. They were tough. They punched people. They didn't show vulnerability.
Jeremy Bolt broke that mold.
Because of the character's stutter and his general "little brother" energy, Sherman brought a level of softness to the screen that was pretty revolutionary for 1968. You have to remember the context of the era. The Vietnam War was televised every night. The world was loud and aggressive. Jeremy Bolt was quiet. He was kind. For the millions of teenage girls watching, he represented a safe version of masculinity. Honestly, the chemistry between the three "brothers" was the only thing that kept the show grounded. Robert Brown was the father figure, David Soul was the logic, and Bobby was the heart.
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The show ran for 52 episodes over two seasons. While it never hit the top of the Nielson ratings, its demographic density was insane. It owned the youth market.
From Logging to the Billboard Charts
If you think the TV show was big, the music career that sprouted from it was a literal hurricane.
During the filming of Here Come the Brides, Bobby Sherman started recording music under the Metromedia label. This wasn't some vanity project. It was a calculated move to capitalize on the "Jeremy Bolt" fever. In 1969, while the show was still in its second season, Sherman released "Little Woman."
It went to number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Then came "Easy Come, Easy Go" and "Julie, Do Ya Love Me." Suddenly, the guy playing a logger in 1870s Seattle was selling out arenas and appearing on American Bandstand. It’s one of the few times in television history where the fictional character and the real-life pop star identity blurred so perfectly. Fans didn't see a distinction between Jeremy Bolt and Bobby Sherman. They were the same person: the nice guy with the shaggy hair who just wanted to be loved.
The Reality of the Set
Working on a backlot western isn't glamorous.
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The "Seattle" of the show was actually the Columbia Ranch in Burbank. It was hot. The actors were wearing heavy wool coats and boots in 90-degree California sun. Sherman has mentioned in various interviews over the decades that the shooting schedule was grueling—sometimes 12 to 14 hours a day. When you're the "it boy" of the moment, you don't get a break. He would finish filming on Friday night and fly out to do concerts on Saturday and Sunday, only to be back in the makeup chair by 6:00 AM Monday morning.
David Soul, who later became a massive star in Starsky & Hutch, once noted that the popularity of the show was a "double-edged sword." They were earning decent money, but they were also trapped in these teen-idol personas that made it hard to be taken seriously as "serious" actors later on. Sherman, however, seemed to handle it with more grace than most. He never seemed to resent the "Jeremy" tag.
Why the Show Ended After Two Seasons
It’s the question that still haunts 1970s nostalgia forums. Why did ABC cancel it?
The ratings were actually respectable for its Friday night slot. However, the production costs were high. Location shooting (even if it was just a ranch), the large ensemble cast of "brides," and the period-accurate costumes meant the show was expensive to produce. Plus, by 1970, the "western" genre was starting to feel dated. The public's taste was shifting toward more gritty, urban dramas.
When the show was axed in the spring of 1970, it left a massive void in the teen magazine market. Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine had to pivot hard to find a replacement. They eventually landed on David Cassidy and The Partridge Family, but for a solid two years, Bobby Sherman was the undisputed king.
Life After the Brides
Most people know that Bobby Sherman eventually walked away from the limelight. He didn't crash and burn like so many other child stars or teen idols. He just... changed his mind about what mattered.
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He became a paramedic.
Actually, he became a specialist in emergency medicine and a reserve deputy sheriff. He used the wealth he built from his "Jeremy Bolt" days to fund a life of service. He spent decades teaching first aid and CPR to thousands of police officers. It’s a fascinating turn of events. The guy who played the "sensitive" brother who needed protecting ended up being the guy who saved lives in the real world.
There's something incredibly poetic about that. He didn't try to cling to the fame. He didn't do the reality show circuit or try to reinvent himself as a "gritty" actor. He took the "nice guy" persona of Jeremy Bolt and made it a reality in the most practical way possible.
The Legacy of the 100 Brides
Watching Here Come the Brides today is a trip. The hair is definitely 1960s, even if the clothes are 1860s. The dialogue is snappy in a way that modern TV rarely is. But the core of the show—the idea of people looking for a new start in a wild place—still works.
For those who lived through it, the show represents a very specific moment in time. It was the bridge between the old-fashioned TV of the 50s and the more experimental stuff of the 70s. And at the center of it was Bobby Sherman, looking slightly confused by all the attention but hitting his marks every single time.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Fan
If you're looking to revisit this era or understand the Sherman phenomenon, here is how to do it properly:
- Watch the Pilot First: The 90-minute pilot episode is significantly better than the average TV movie of the time. It sets up the stakes perfectly and shows the rawest version of the Jeremy Bolt character.
- Listen to the 1969 Self-Titled Album: To understand the "Bobby-mania," you have to hear the music that was being released concurrently with Season 2. It’s the quintessential "bubblegum pop" sound of the era.
- Check the Credits: Pay attention to the guest stars. You'll see early appearances by people like Bruce Lee, who appeared in the episode "The Marriage of Silas Proudfoot." It’s a bizarre and wonderful crossover of 60s icons.
- Avoid the "Cheap" Reprints: If you are buying the DVDs, look for the official Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases. The bootleg versions floating around eBay often have terrible audio sync issues that ruin the musical numbers.
- Read the Biography: If you can find a copy, Bobby Sherman's autobiography Remembering You gives a very honest look at how he felt about the show and why he eventually chose to become a first responder.
The impact of here come the brides Bobby Sherman wasn't just about a TV show. It was about a shift in how TV handled young male characters. It proved that you could be "the heart" of a show without being the guy who started the bar fights. Jeremy Bolt was a hero for the sensitive kids, and Bobby Sherman was the perfect person to bring him to life.