The Gospel Bill Show facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Gospel Bill Show
Title card for the show.
Created by	Willie George
Starring	Willie George Ken Blount Jeff Merrill (1986–1993) Lana Osborn Daine Demaree (until 1989) John Witty (1989–1993)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	65
Production
Executive producer(s)	Willie George
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	syndicated
Original release	June 4, 1981 (1981-06-04) – May 12, 1993 (1993-05-12)

The Gospel Bill Show was a fun TV series that taught good Christian values. It was made by Willie George Ministries. The show first aired on June 4, 1981, and its last episode was on May 12, 1993.

Later episodes of the show were called Adventures in Dry Gulch. But they still had the same characters and stories. You could watch the show on networks like CBN and TBN. Today, you can still see it on channels like Daystar and Smile of a Child. It was also shown in Australia on the Australian Christian Channel.

Meet the Characters of Dry Gulch

This show was full of interesting characters. They lived in a town called Dry Gulch.

• Gospel Bill (Willie George) – He is the sheriff of Dry Gulch. Gospel Bill helps keep the town safe. He also teaches everyone about right and wrong.
• Nicodemus (Ken Blount) – Nicodemus is Gospel Bill's deputy and best friend. He also works on a ranch. Sometimes, Nicodemus gets tricked by bad guys. But Gospel Bill always helps him make good choices.
• Miss Lana (Lana Osborn) – She runs the town's general store. It's also where people send messages. Miss Lana is like a kind mother figure to everyone in Dry Gulch.
• Elmer Barnes (Jeff Merrill) – Elmer is a friendly citizen of Dry Gulch. He is friends with the main characters. Sometimes, he gets a little confused about Bible stories. Elmer has two pet worms named Inky and Dinky. His favorite thing to do is go fishing!
• Theodore Ulysses (T. U.) Tutwater (Daine Demaree) – He is the mayor of Dry Gulch. He also runs the Dry Gulch Bank. Tutwater often cares a lot about money and being important. He usually disagrees with Gospel Bill's Christian ideas. Later, John Witty played this character, and his name changed to T. W. Tutwater.
• Luther Bedlow (also played by Willie George) – Luther is the main bad guy in the show. He always tries to do something sneaky or illegal. But Gospel Bill always stops him!
• Orville Cornpone (Rodney Lynch) – In early episodes, Orville was Luther Bedlow's clumsy helper. He often messed up Bedlow's plans. Later, Orville changed his ways and became a good person.
• Wichita Slim (Kenneth Copeland) – He is a tough but kind U.S. Marshall. Wichita Slim visits Dry Gulch sometimes. He helps solve the biggest and toughest problems the town faces.
• Miss Trudi Lou (Trudi Blount) – She is a smaller character in the show. Nicodemus often talks about how much he likes her. (In real life, Trudi Blount is Ken Blount's wife!)
• Ferman Farnsworth (also played by Willie George) – He is a ranch owner. Nicodemus works for him.
• Barkamaeus (Keith Holey) – This was a human-sized talking dog! He wore a cowboy hat and a vest. Barkamaeus only appeared in some of the early episodes.

Before Elmer Barnes joined the show, Jeff Merrill played a different character. He was a surveyor who told Luther Bedlow about gold in Dry Gulch. John Witty and Rodney Lynch also played the town doctor in some episodes.

What Was the Show About?

The Gospel Bill Show took place in the made-up town of Dry Gulch. It looked like a town from the Old West. But the show often had funny modern things in it. For example, they might talk about TVs or answering machines. These things didn't exist in the real Old West! The town was called Dry Gulch because the people voted to ban alcohol sales there.

How Was the Show Made?

Each episode focused on a certain topic. Gospel Bill would help someone in town, like Nicodemus or Elmer Barnes. He would give them good advice. Or he would stop Luther Bedlow from doing something bad.

Oogene and Jeannie Mae: Puppet Fun

During the show, there were often short puppet stories. Some puppets acted out Bible stories. Other puppets were Oogene, a young boy, and his sister Jeannie Mae. They would sometimes argue, but they always learned a good lesson. Oogene also had segments called "Oogene at the Zoo" or "Oogene at the Farm." In these, he would learn about animals and connect them to Bible lessons. Willie George did the voices for most of the puppets.

Music and Lessons for Life

Near the end of each episode, there was a Christian song. It often had a music video. Many songs were sung by Ken Blount, who played Nicodemus. Sometimes he was in character, and sometimes he was just himself. Other singers like Len Mink and Kellie Copeland Swisher also had songs on the show.

After the music, Gospel Bill would come back. He often used props to help explain a lesson to the viewers. This lesson usually tied into the main story of the episode. Sometimes, Nicodemus would give the lesson instead of Gospel Bill.

Adventures in Dry Gulch: New Stories

Later episodes changed their title to "Adventures in Dry Gulch." In many of these, Willie George (Gospel Bill) was not in the episode. Instead, Nicodemus was in charge. Gospel Bill was "out of town" on a special task.

Where Can You Watch It?

You can buy the series on DVD from Willie George's church website. The collection includes many episodes. Here are a few examples of what you might find:

• God Gives Back – Miss Lana trusts God to help her keep her store.
• There's Still Hope – Gospel Bill catches a bank robber, and Miss Lana believes the robber can change.
• Power of Agreement – Gospel Bill loses his memory, and his friends pray for him.
• He Sent His Word and Healed Them – Gospel Bill uses God's Word to help a sick family.
• Don't Trust in Riches – Tutwater loses his money trying to get rich quickly.
• The Worst Temptation – Luther Bedlow tries to make Gospel Bill leave town.
• To Cheat or Not, Part 1 & 2 – Luther Bedlow tries to cheat in an election.
• All Things Through Christ – Gospel Bill tries to find a mysterious thief.
• Praise God When Trouble Comes – Gospel Bill learns to praise God even when things go wrong.
• To Tell the Truth – Elmer tries to impress someone by not telling the whole truth.
• Receiving by Faith – Gospel Bill gets hurt, and his friends pray for his healing.
• It Pays to Work – Elmer learns about working hard when Miss Lana gives him a job.
• The New Birth – Gospel Bill shares his story to show Elmer that Jesus can change anyone.
• The Reward of Stinginess – Tutwater misses out on blessings because he doesn't like to give.
• The Power of the Tongue – Nicodemus uses God's Word for healing.
• Treasures in Heaven – Luther Bedlow kidnaps Nicodemus to find treasure.
• If God Be for Us – Nicodemus learns to be brave when Gospel Bill is away.
• Agreement Equals Power – Gospel Bill and Nicodemus pray for money to save Nicodemus's mother's farm.
• Overcoming Faith – The friends use their faith to get through tough times.
• Control Your Thoughts – Nicodemus and Elmer almost fight over Miss Trudi Lou.
• Babies Make Mistakes – A new Christian learns to keep trying even after mistakes.
• Elmer Finds His Gift – Elmer discovers his special talent.
• There's No Such Thing As Monsters – Gospel Bill helps Tutwater understand a monster story.
• Never Give Up – Nicodemus almost quits his job.
• Deadly Disobedience – A boy gets into danger when he doesn't listen to his mom.
• Nic and the Faith Saddle – Gospel Bill encourages Nicodemus to believe God for a new saddle.
• Rejoice in the Lord – Nicodemus learns to praise God even on a bad day.
• Angels Watching over Me – Elmer learns that angels are protecting him.
• Put Off Temptation – Luther Bedlow and Tutwater try to bribe Gospel Bill.
• The Root of Bitterness – Miss Lana is tempted to be angry when Tutwater accuses her.
• Words of Healing – Gospel Bill speaks healing words for his uncle.
• How to Make Friends
• Freed from Sin
• The Jealous Mistake
• The Spirit of Giving
• The Love of Money
• The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
• The Wicked Man's Trap
• The Missionary Journey
• Feed Your Spirit
• Praise Beats Complaining
• Believe the Best
• Pride Comes Before Trouble
• Honesty
• Peer Pressure
• Gorilla Prank
• The New Man (introducing Kenneth Copeland as Wichita Slim)
• By His Stripes
• The Fugitive, Part 1
• The Fugitive, Part 2

Other Shows from the Same Creators

Willie George Ministries also made other shows related to The Gospel Bill Show. These were called spin-offs.

Dry Gulch, U.S.A. Camp

Right after The Gospel Bill Show started, Willie George opened a summer camp. It was called Dry Gulch, U.S.A. It's now known as New Life Ranch Frontier Cove. This camp is in Adair, Oklahoma. It's a Christian summer camp with a fun Old West theme.

Bill Gunter, U.S. Marshal

This show was more like a serious Western movie. It was filmed at the Dry Gulch, U.S.A. camp. In this show, Gospel Bill's name was Bill Gunter. But other characters kept their names. Bill Gunter was a U.S. Marshall in the old Oklahoma Indian Territory. He tried to live as a strong Christian in a wild place. This show was meant to be a good example for kids.

The Candy Store

The Candy Store was a TV show for younger kids, like preschoolers. It was connected to The Gospel Bill Show. Miss Lana and Nicodemus were in it, along with a new character named Lefty Wright.

Characters in The Candy Store

• Miss Lana
• Nicodemus
• Elmer Barnes
• Barkimaeus, The Faith Dog
• Lefty Wright
• Miss Trudi Lou
• Wendell, the Woodchuck

Episode Titles for The Candy Store

The episodes were based on letters of the alphabet:

• A: is for Abraham
• B: is For Bible
• C: is for Christ
• D: is for David
• E: is for Esther
• F: is for Faith
• G: is for Grace
• H: is for Heaven
• I: is for You
• J: is for Jesus
• K: is for Kindness
• L: is for Love
• M: is for Miracle
• N: is for Noah
• O: is for Obey
• P: is for Prayer
• Q: is for Queen
• R: is for Rejoice
• S: is for Sickness (Healing)
• T: is for Temple
• U: is for Unbelief
• V: is for Victory
• W: is for Wealth
• XYZ: is the End

The Cimarron Trail

Many people thought this was a brand new show. But it was actually just Bill Gunter, U.S. Marshal with a new name! Willie George had wanted to call the show The Cimarron Trail from the start. But he was told the name was already taken. Later, they found out it wasn't copyrighted. So, they changed the show's name to what Willie George originally wanted.

The Wichita Slim Trilogy: Movies!

There were also three movies related to these shows. In these movies, the Gospel Bill/Bill Gunter character teamed up with Wichita Slim (Kenneth Copeland). Wichita Slim was now a U.S. Marshall too.

• The Gunslinger – In this movie, Wichita Slim gets hurt and loses his memory. He starts acting like an outlaw again for a short time.
• Covenant Rider – The two Marshalls try to rescue Bill Gunter's nephew. He was kidnapped by bad guys.
• The Treasure of Eagle Mountain – This movie is about a treasure left by an old lawman for his son. Everyone tries to find it.