# Walker, Texas Ranger

Walker, Texas Ranger is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film Lone Wolf McQuade, with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full seasons followed with new episodes airing from September 25, 1993, to May 19, 2001, and reruns continuing on CBS until July 28, 2001. It has been broadcast in over 100 countries and spawned a 2005 television film entitled Trial by Fire. The film ended on a cliffhanger, which was never resolved. DVD sets of all seasons have been released (with the three pilots packaged with the first regular season). At various times since 1997, reruns of the show have aired, in syndication, on the USA Network and Action in Canada. Reruns are currently seen on CBS Action, WGN America, CMT, INSP, getTV, Pluto TV, Heroes & Icons, Grit, 10 Bold, Peacock TV, Up TV and Hulu.
The series was noted for its moralistic style. The characters refrained from the use of drugs and participated in community service. Martial arts were displayed prominently as the primary tool of law enforcement and occasionally as a tool for Walker and company to reach out to the community.
A reboot entitled Walker, starring Jared Padalecki, debuted on The CW in 2021, where it ran for four seasons.

## Premise

The show was initially developed by executive producer Allison Moore and supervising producer J. Michael Straczynski when the series was still being produced by Cannon Television. While Straczynski had to depart to get his new series Babylon 5 on the air, executive producer David Moessinger remained to finish developing the series. The show is centered on Sergeant Cordell Walker (Norris), a Dallas–Fort Worth–based member of the Texas Rangers, a state-level bureau of investigation. Walker was raised by his paternal uncle, an American Indian named Ray Firewalker (Floyd Red Crow Westerman, pilot episode, season 1; Apesanahkwat, season 2). The surname is, possibly, a nod to the 1986 Norris film, Firewalker. Cordell, prior to joining the Rangers, served in the Marines' elite Recon unit during the Vietnam War. Both Cordell and Uncle Ray share the values characteristic of Wild West sheriffs.
His partner and best friend is James "Jimmy" Trivette (Clarence Gilyard), a former Dallas Cowboys player, "Go Long Trivette", who takes a more modern approach. Walker's young partner grew up in Baltimore and used football as his ticket to college education. He was dropped from the team after he tore up his shoulder in a major game, which led to his career in the Rangers (often making references to watching the Lone Ranger and how C.D. Parker mentored him as a rookie officer). Trivette also works inside the office using computers and cellular phones to collate information of the people who have been taken into custody.
Walker also works closely with (and shares a mutual attraction to) Alexandra "Alex" Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson), a Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney, who on occasion puts up a frown if Walker does not obtain results in time. He also gets advice on cases from C.D. Parker (Gailard Sartain, pilot season; Noble Willingham, seasons 1–7), a veteran Ranger (later inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame) who worked with Walker (and is the only character on the show to address Walker by his first name Cordell on a regular basis) until retiring to operate a small restaurant and bar called "CD's Bar and Grill", a restaurant widely known in the series for its chili. In season 7, two rookie Texas Rangers, Sydney Cooke (Nia Peeples), and Francis Gage (Judson Mills), are assigned under Walker and Trivette's command.
The series was well known during its run for its product placement deal with Chrysler, especially its Dodge division. After Walker used a GMC Sierra during the first season, he switched to the Dodge Ram (which at the start of the second season was completely redesigned for 1994), which would be advertised during commercial breaks. Other members of the cast often used other Chrysler vehicles, while villains would drive vehicles from General Motors or Ford Motor Company. This was not unlike The Andy Griffith Show, which exclusively used Ford vehicles due to a sponsorship deal with Andy Griffith. Coincidentally, the show ended just as Dodge was getting ready to redesign the Ram again for the 2002 model year. However the 2006 Dodge Ram SRT-10 was used in the movie Trial by Fire, driven by Walker.

## Episodes

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | April 21, 1993 | May 1, 1993 |
| 2 | 24 | 24 | September 25, 1993 (1993-09-25) | May 21, 1994 (1994-05-21) |
| 3 | 25 | 25 | September 24, 1994 (1994-09-24) | May 13, 1995 (1995-05-13) |
| 4 | 26 | 26 | September 23, 1995 (1995-09-23) | May 18, 1996 (1996-05-18) |
| 5 | 27 | 27 | September 21, 1996 (1996-09-21) | May 17, 1997 (1997-05-17) |
| 6 | 25 | 25 | September 27, 1997 (1997-09-27) | May 16, 1998 (1998-05-16) |
| 7 | 23 | 23 | September 26, 1998 (1998-09-26) | May 22, 1999 (1999-05-22) |
| 8 | 25 | 25 | September 25, 1999 (1999-09-25) | May 20, 2000 (2000-05-20) |
| 9 | 24 | 24 | October 7, 2000 (2000-10-07) | May 19, 2001 (2001-05-19) |
| Television film | Television film | Television film | October 16, 2005 (2005-10-16) | October 16, 2005 (2005-10-16) |

## Cast and characters

| Name | Portrayed by | Occupation | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons | Seasons |
| Name | Portrayed by | Occupation | Pilot | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Cordell Walker | Chuck Norris | Texas Ranger | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| James Trivette | Clarence Gilyard | Texas Ranger | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| Alexandra Cahill | Sheree J. Wilson | Assistant District Attorney | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main |
| CD Parker | Gailard Sartain | Former Texas Ranger, and bar owner | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| CD Parker | Noble Willingham | Former Texas Ranger, and bar owner | Does not appear | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Main | Does not appear |
| Raymond Firewalker | Floyd Westerman | Walker's uncle | Main | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Raymond Firewalker | Apesanahkwat | Walker's uncle | Does not appear | Does not appear | Guest | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Trent Malloy | Jimmy Wlcek | Karate instructor, and private detective | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Recurring | Recurring | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Carlos Sandoval | Marco Sanchez | Police detective | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Recurring | Recurring | Main | Does not appear | Does not appear |
| Francis Gage | Judson Mills | Texas Ranger | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main |
| Sydney Cooke | Nia Peeples | Texas Ranger | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Does not appear | Main | Main |

### Main

* Chuck Norris as Texas Ranger Sergeant Cordell Walker, a former Marine and a modern-day Ranger who believes in the Code of the Old West. He is a decorated Vietnam vet and a martial arts expert. He is the show's main protagonist.
* Clarence Gilyard as Texas Ranger Sergeant James "Jimmy" Trivette, Walker's partner and best friend. He is former professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys where he was a wide receiver.
* Sheree J. Wilson as Tarrant County Assistant D.A. Alexandra "Alex" Cahill, whom Walker later dates for a few seasons and finally marries.
* Gailard Sartain (pilot) and Noble Willingham (seasons 1–7) as retired Texas Ranger Captain C.D. Parker, Walker's buddy and ex-partner who owns a bar-restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, and is the only one to address Walker by his first name Cordell regularly. He regularly assists Walker and Trivette. C.D. was written out midway the seventh season (due to Willingham leaving the show to run for Congress), with it said that he is on a cruise around the world, which leaves him unable to attend Walker and Alex's wedding. He later unexpectedly dies off-screen early in the final season while on a fishing trip, presumably of a heart attack, but the series finale ultimately reveals that C.D. was murdered by ricin poisoning by Emile Lavocat, as the start of a revenge plot against the Company B Texas Rangers.
* Floyd Westerman (pilot season–season 1) and Apesanahkwat (guest season 2) as Walker's paternal uncle Ray Firewalker, also known as Uncle Ray. He raised Cordell after his parents – John and Elizabeth Firewalker – were murdered. Ray disappears at the end of the second season and is later revealed to have died during the fifth season episode "Lucas".
* Jimmy Wlcek as Trent Malloy (recurring seasons 4–5; main season 6), son of a pastor and former martial arts student of Walker. He is a black belt in Karate and runs both his own Dojo and Protection Agency. He also often teams up with Walker and Trivette on cases.
* Marco Sanchez as Detective Carlos Sandoval (recurring seasons 4–5; main season 6), a detective for Dallas PD, and the best friend of Trent Malloy. He often teams up with Walker and Trivette on cases.
* Judson Mills as Texas Ranger Francis Gage (seasons 7–8), a rookie Ranger who joins Walker in the series' seventh season.
* Nia Peeples as Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke (seasons 7–8), another rookie Ranger who joins Walker in the series' seventh season.

### Supporting

* Cynthia Dorn as M.E. Mary Williams, a medical examiner in most of the murder cases that occurred on the show.
* James Drury as Texas Ranger Captain Tom Price, Walker's and Trivette's supervisor. He only appears during the pilot season.
* Vanessa Paul as Josie Martin, who runs a 'H.O.P.E.' center created by Alex after a near-death experience. One of Alex's bridesmaids at Alex and Walker's wedding.
* Frank Salsedo as White Eagle, the spiritual leader of the Cherokee reservation Walker grew up on, who debuts during season 3.
* Rod Taylor as Gordon Cahill, the once-estranged father of Alex, who is also an Attorney.
* Eloy Casados as Sheriff Sam Coyote, the sheriff of the Cherokee reservation and a very good friend of Walker.
* Peter Onorati as Sergeant Vincent Rosetti, a New York Police Sergeant with a strong New York accent, and who is a little arrogant.
* Terry Kiser as Charlie Brooks, a clumsy and fast-talking informant for Walker and Trivette.
* Robert Fuller as Ranger Wade Harper, a retired El Paso Texas Ranger who came on board to work for Walker and Trivette. Previously, Robert Fuller appeared another character – Cabe Wallace, a 19th-century Texas Ranger – in one episode.
* Julia Nickson as Dr. Susan Lee, a geneticist who had been kidnapped three times throughout her appearances and the mother of Davey.
* Wayne Pere as Victor LaRue, one of Walker's archenemies who repeatedly tried to rape Alex until he was shot dead in his final appearance, "Trial of LaRue".

### Notable guest stars

| Actor | Character | Episode title | Year |
| Marshall R. Teague | Orson Wade | "One Riot, One Ranger" | 1993 |
| Marshall R. Teague | Harper Ridland | "Payback" | 1994 |
| Marshall R. Teague | Randy Shrader | "Codename: Dragonfly" | 1996 |
| Marshall R. Teague | Rudd Kilgore | "Last of a Breed: Part 1" "Last of a Breed: Part 2" | 1997 |
| Marshall R. Teague | Lieutenant Tracton | "Fight or Die" | 1999 |
| Marshall R. Teague | Emile Lavocat/Milos "Moon" Lavocat | "The Final Showdown" | 2001 |
| Leon Rippy | Dewey Baker | "Borderline" | 1993 |
| Leon Rippy | Vince Pike | "Days Past" | 1997 |
| Leon Rippy | Chastian | "The Final Show/Down" | 2001 |
| Richard Norton | Rollins | "Storm Warning" | 1993 |
| Richard Norton | Mercenary #1 | "Standoff" | 1995 |
| Richard Norton | Simms | "Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1999 |
| Richard Norton | Tom Munger | "Fight or Die" | 1999 |
| Richard Norton | Thug (uncredited) | "Wedding Bells: Part 1" | 2000 |
| Richard Norton | Frank Scanlon | "The Avenging Angel" | 2000 |
| Richard Norton | Jonas Graves/ 'flashbacks', Long-Haired Desperado | "The Final Showdown: Part 1" "The Final Showdown: Part 2" | 2001 |
| Luis Guzmán | Gomez | "Storm Warning" | 1993 |
| Patrick St. Esprit | Quint | "Crime Wave Dave" | 1993 |
| Patrick St. Esprit | Brad Furnell | "The Juggernaut" | 1996 |
| Patrick St. Esprit | Jack Garrett | "The Fighting McLains" | 1997 |
| Patrick St. Esprit | Lester Rawlins | "A Matter of Principle" | 1997 |
| Patrick St. Esprit | Darby | "Unsafe Speed" | 2001 |
| Judith Hoag | Lainie Flanders | "Family Matters" | 1993 |
| Brian Thompson | Leo Cale | "Family Matters" | 1993 |
| M. C. Gainey | Tingley | "She'll Do to Ride the River With" | 1993 |
| M. C. Gainey | Craig | "The Bachelor Party" | 2000 |
| Sam J. Jones | Tommy Williams/Samuel Bodine | "Unfinished Business" | 1993 |
| Sam J. Jones | Mick Stanley | "Devil's Turf" | 1997 |
| Mary Elizabeth McGlynn | Merilee Summers | "Right Man Wrong Time" | 1994 |
| Giovanni Ribisi | Tony Kingston | "Something in the Shadows: Part 1" "Something in the Shadows: Part 2" | 1994 |
| Tom Virtue | Peter Needham | "Something in the Shadows: Part 1" "Something in the Shadows: Part 2" | 1994 |
| Jeff Kober | Kurt Nypo | "Something in the Shadows: Part 1" "Something in the Shadows: Part 2" | 1994 |
| Jeff Kober | Russell Stafford | "99th Ranger" | 1997 |
| Tobey Maguire | Duane Parsons | "The Prodigal Son" | 1994 |
| Danica McKellar | Laurie Maston | "Stolen Lullaby" | 1994 |
| Ray Wise | Garrett Carlson | "Stolen Lullaby" | 1994 |
| Carli Coleman | Georgia Douglas | "Silk Dreams" | 1994 |
| James Morrison | Ned Travis | "Mustangs" | 1994 |
| August Schellenberg | Billy Gray Wolf | "Rainbow Warrior" | 1994 |
| August Schellenberg | Billy Gray Wolf | "On Sacred Ground" | 1995 |
| Doris Roberts | Elaine Portugal | "The Big Bingo Bamboozle" | 1995 |
| Wayne Pere | Victor LaRue | "Cowboy" | 1995 |
| Wayne Pere | Victor LaRue | "The Return of LaRue" | 1996 |
| Wayne Pere | Victor LaRue | "Trial of LaRue" | 1997 |
| Wayne Pere | Cuadroza | "Last of a Breed: Part 1" "Last of a Breed: Part 2" | 1997 |
| Tim Thomerson | Mitchell Bolton | "War Zone" | 1995 |
| Dirk Benedict | Blair | "Case Closed" | 1995 |
| Robin Sachs | Philippe Brouchard | "Standoff" | 1995 |
| Andrew Divoff | Carlos Darius | "Deep Cover" | 1995 |
| Andrew Divoff | Rudy Mendoza | "Everyday Heroes" | 1998 |
| Andrew Divoff | Alberto Cardoza | "Winds of Change" | 2000 |
| Alex Cord | Larry Curtis | "The Guardians" | 1995 |
| William Smith | Silas Quint | "Final Justice" | 1995 |
| Marshall Colt | Lt. Lee Corbin (his last acting role) | "Whitewater: Part 1" | 1995 |
| Carlos Machado | Himself | "Rodeo" | 1996 |
| Carlos Machado | Officer No. 1 | "Sons of Thunder" | 1997 |
| Carlos Machado | Orderly | "Forgotten People" | 1997 |
| Carlos Machado | Rodgers | "Fight or Die" | 1999 |
| William Lucking | Capt. Shankley | "Break In" | 1996 |
| Anthony Zerbe | Joey Galloway | "Break In" | 1996 |
| Clifton Collins Jr. | Fito | "El Coyote: Part 1" "El Coyote: Part 2" | 1996 |
| Issabela Camil | Juanita Ortiz | "El Coyote: Part 1" "El Coyote: Part 2" | 1996 |
| Robert Englund | Lyle Eckert | "Deadline" | 1996 |
| Richard Chaves | Special Agent Samuel Mills | "Deadline" | 1996 |
| Keith Szarabajka | Hendricks | "Redemption" | 1996 |
| Burt Young | Jack Belmont | "Lucky" | 1996 |
| Burt Young | Jack Belmont | "Small Blessings" | 1997 |
| Max Martini | Luke | "A Silent Cry" | 1996 |
| Rod Taylor | Gordon Cahill | "Redemption" | 1996 |
| Rod Taylor | Gordon Cahill | "Texas vs. Cahill" | 1997 |
| Rod Taylor | Gordon Cahill | "Wedding Bells: Part 1" "Wedding Bells: Part 2" | 2000 |
| Terry Kiser | Charlie Brooks | "Mayday" "Last Hope" "Iceman" | 1997 |
| Terry Kiser | Maxwell 'Iceman' Kronert | "Iceman" | 1997 |
| Mila Kunis | Pepper | "Last Hope" | 1997 |
| Tammy Lauren | Roberta "Bobby" Hunt | "99th Ranger" | 1997 |
| Tammy Lauren | Roberta "Bobby" Hunt | "A Father's Image" | 1997 |
| Tonea Stewart | Judge Loretta Paxton | "Trial of LaRue" | 1997 |
| Tonea Stewart | Principal Rivers | "Rise to the Occasion" | 1999 |
| Mako | Dr. Henry Lee | "Heart of the Dragon" | 1997 |
| Mako | Edward Song | "Black Dragons" | 2000 |
| Kyla Pratt | Kyla Jarvis | "The Neighborhood" | 1997 |
| Dan Lauria | Salvatore Matacio | "A Father's Image" | 1997 |
| John Amos | Pastor Roscoe Jones | "Sons of Thunder" | 1997 |
| Tess Harper | Katie Malloy | "Sons of Thunder" | 1997 |
| Marco Sanchez | Detective Carlos Sandoval | "Sons of Thunder"-"Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1997-1999 |
| Marco Sanchez | Sam Brazos | "Paradise Trail" | 1998 |
| James Wlcek | Trent Malloy | "Sons of Thunder"-"Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1997-1999 |
| James Wlcek | Brother John Mason | "Paradise Trail" | 1998 |
| James Pickens Jr. | Staff Sergeant Luther Parrish | "The Fighting Mclains" | 1997 |
| Stephen Quadros | Corporal John Wesley 'JW' Mclain | "The Fighting Mclains" | 1997 |
| Haley Joel Osment | Lucas Simms | "Lucas: Part 1" "Lucas: Part 2" | 1997 |
| Mackenzie Phillips | Ellen Simms | "Lucas: Part 1" "Lucas: Part 2" | 1997 |
| Gwen Verdon | Maisie Whitman | "Forgotten People" | 1997 |
| Gwen Verdon | Maisie Whitman | "Mind Games" | 1999 |
| Robert Fuller | Ranger Cabe Wallace | "Last of a Breed: Part 2" | 1997 |
| Robert Fuller | Ranger Cabe Wallace | "The Final Show/Down" | 2001 |
| Robert Fuller | Ranger Wade Harper | "A Matter of Principle" | 2000 |
| Robert Fuller | Ranger Wade Harper | "The Final Show/Down" | 2001 |
| David Gallagher | Chad Morgan | "Brainchild" | 1997 |
| Paul Gleason | Dr. Harold Payton | "Brainchild" | 1997 |
| Randolph Mantooth | James Lee Crown | "Rainbow's End" | 1997 |
| Mitch Pileggi | Paul Grady | "Money Talks" | 1998 |
| "Rowdy" Roddy Piper | Cody "The Crusader" Conway | "The Crusader" | 1998 |
| Linda Purl | Barbara Conway | "The Crusader" | 1998 |
| Marty Ingels | Murray | "The Crusader" | 1998 |
| Randy Tallman | Dr. Aaron Markham | "The Crusader" | 1998 |
| Randy Tallman | Dr. Pratt | "Vision Quest" | 2000 |
| Paul Winfield | Pastor Roscoe Jones | "The Soul of Winter" | 1998 |
| Collin Raye | Himself | "The Soul of Winter" | 1998 |
| Danny Trejo | Joe Lopez | "Circle of Life" | 1998 |
| Danny Trejo | Jose Rodriguez | "Rise to the Occasion" | 1999 |
| Kerry Rossall | Bad Guy | "Test of Faith" | 1998 |
| Kerry Rossall | Mace | "Brothers in Arms" | 1999 |
| Kerry Rossall | Joe Martin | "Rise to the Occasion" | 1999 |
| Tobin Bell | Karl Storm | "The Wedding: Part 1" "The Wedding: Part 2" | 1998 |
| RuPaul | Bob | "Royal Heist" | 1998 |
| Dean Norris | Deke Powell | "War Cry" | 1998 |
| Mike Connors | Judge Arthur McSpadden | "Code of the West" | 1998 |
| Amanda Fuller | Katie McSpadden | "Code of the West" | 1998 |
| Camilla Belle | Cindy Morgan | "Code of the West" | 1998 |
| Downtown Julie Brown | Cassandra | "The Children of Halloween" | 1998 |
| Erik Dellums | David "Lucifer" Thompson | "The Children of Halloween" | 1998 |
| Lila McCann | Kelly Wyman | "Eyes of a Ranger" | 1998 |
| Michael Peterson | Himself | "Eyes of a Ranger" | 1998 |
| Lee Majors | Sheriff Bell | "On the Border" | 1998 |
| Michael Fishman | Snake | "Lost Boys" | 1999 |
| Deion Sanders | Himself | "Special Witness" | 1999 |
| Deion Sanders | Himself | "Rise to the Occasion" | 1999 |
| Gary Busey | Donovan Riggs | "Special Witness" | 1999 |
| James Remar | Keith Bolt | "The Principal" | 1999 |
| Judy Herrera | Rachel Falcon | "Team Cherokee: Part 1" "Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1999 |
| Michael Greyeyes | Brian Falcon | "Team Cherokee: Part 1" "Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1999 |
| Robert Mirabal | Tall Bear | "Team Cherokee: Part 1" "Team Cherokee: Part 2" | 1999 |
| John Schneider | Jacob Crossland | "Jacob's Ladder" | 1999 |
| Lane Smith | Reverend Thornton Powers | "Power Angels" | 1999 |
| Dwight Schultz | Lloyd Allen | "Safe House" | 1999 |
| Rex Linn | Leland Stahl/Lester Stahl | "Way of the Warrior" | 1999 |
| Frank Stallone | B.J. Ronson | "Tall Cotton" | 1999 |
| Frank Stallone | Frank Bishop | "Saturday Night" | 2001 |
| Peggy and Patsy Lynn | Themselves | "The Lynn Sisters" | 1999 |
| Erik Estrada | Brock | "The Lynn Sisters" | 1999 |
| Joe Penny | Sonny Tantero | "Suspicious Minds" | 1999 |
| Barry Corbin | Ben Crowder | "Widowmaker" | 1999 |
| Ty Murray | Himself | "Widowmaker" | 1999 |
| Randy Savage | Whitelaw Lundren | "Fight or Die" | 1999 |
| Frank Shamrock | Dirk 'The Hammer' Savage | "Fight or Die" | 1999 |
| Steven Bauer | Lorenzo Cabral | "Rise to the Occasion" | 1999 |
| Scott Weinger | Bradley Roberts | "Full Recovery" | 1999 |
| Marla Adams | Betsy Harper | "A Matter of Principle" | 2000 |
| Marla Adams | Betsy Harper | "The Final Showdown" | 2001 |
| Tammy Townsend | Erika Carter | "Justice Delayed" | 2000 |
| Tammy Townsend | Erika Carter | "The Final Showdown" | 2001 |
| David Keith | Cliff Eagleton | "The Day of Cleansing" | 2000 |
| Sammo Hung | Sammo Law | "The Day of Cleansing" | 2000 |
| Deron McBee | Luke Warley | "Black Dragons" | 2000 |
| Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa | Master Ko | "Black Dragons" | 2000 |
| Byron Mann | P.K. Song | "Black Dragons" | 2000 |
| Tzi Ma | General Nimh | "The General's Return" | 2000 |
| Barbara Mandrell | Nicole Foley | "Showdown at Casa Diablo: Part 1" | 2000 |
| Christopher B. Duncan | Defense Attorney Lime | "The Bachelor Party" | 2000 |
| Joan Jett | Dierdre Harris | "Wedding Bells: Part 1" | 2000 |
| Mark Cuban | Groomsmen | "Wedding Bells: Part 1" "Wedding Bells: Part 2" | 2000 |
| Tom Bosley | Minister | "Wedding Bells: Part 1" "Wedding Bells: Part 2" | 2000 |
| Ernest Borgnine | Eddie Ryan | "The Avenging Angel" | 2000 |
| Michael Ironside | Nolan "The Chairman" Pierce | "Winds of Change" "Lazarus" "Turning Point" "Retribution" | 2000 |
| T. J. Thyne | Wallace 'The Wizard' Slausen | "Winds of Change" "Lazarus" "Turning Point" "Retribution" | 2000 |
| Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Jake Horbart | "Child of Hope" | 2000 |
| Dionne Warwick | Dionne Berry | "Faith" | 2000 |
| Mark Kiely | Dwight Burner | "Faith" | 2000 |
| Lee Arenberg | Lester Squigman | "Faith" | 2000 |
| Gerry Becker | Dr. Michaels | "Faith" | 2000 |
| Hulk Hogan | Boomer Knight | "Division Street" | 2001 |
| Francis Capra | Ace | "Division Street" | 2001 |
| Laura Bailey | Roberta Bishop | "Saturday Night" | 2001 |
| Brett Cullen | Pete Drayton | "Justice for All" | 2001 |
| Lawrence LeJohn | Moten | "Justice for All" | 2001 |
| Jonathan Adams | Lyle Nugent | "Justice for All" | 2001 |
| Beau Billingslea | Tom Jakes | "Justice for All" | 2001 |
| Nick Chinlund | Theodore McNeely | "6 Hours" | 2001 |
| Mercedes McNab | Heather Preston | "6 Hours" | 2001 |
| Daniel Hugh Kelly | Tim Preston | "6 Hours" | 2001 |
| Josh Holloway | Ben Wiley | "Medieval Crimes" | 2001 |
| Howard "California Flash" Jackson | Himself | "Legends" | 2001 |
| Joe Lewis | Himself | "Legends" | 2001 |
| Bill "Superfoot" Wallace | Himself | "Legends" | 2001 |
| Don "the Dragon" Wilson | Himself | "Legends" | 2001 |
| Steve "Sting" Borden | Grangus | "Unsafe Speed" | 2001 |
| Carlos Bernard | Raoul 'Skull' Hidalgo | "Without a Sound" | 2001 |
| Lloyd Battista | Dr. Clark | "Without a Sound" | 2001 |
| Peter Woodward | Victor Drake | "Blood Diamonds" | 2001 |
| Ryan Bittle | Harley | "Reel Rangers" | 2001 |
| Mitchel Musso | Josh Whitley | "Trial by Fire" | 2005 |
| Selena Gomez | Julie | "Trial by Fire" | 2005 |

## Reception
### Nielsen ratings

The show was quite successful in the ratings throughout its run, ranking among the Top 25 shows from 1995 until 1999, and ranking in the Top 20 in both the 1995–1996 and 1998–1999 seasons. (1993–1994) 11.7 rating, No. 41 (1994–1995) 11.2 rating, No. 41 (1995–1996) 12.3 rating, No. 18 (1996–1997) 11.0 rating, No. 24 (1997–1998) 14.4 million viewers, No. 21 (1998–1999) 14.4 million viewers, No. 15 (1999–2000) 12.2 million viewers, No. 34 (2000–2002)

### Critical reception

In October 1993, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a C+.
Critic "Average Joe" Queenan thoroughly roasted the series, particularly over targeting a wider audience than suited for its late-night timeslot. He called the show "...so corny and predictable that it appears to be in slow-motion even when it's not...With plotlines that were old when George Burns was young, acting that makes William Shatner seem like Marlon Brando, and dialogue that could stop The Dukes of Hazzard dead in its tracks...Most episodes of the series are completely unwatchable -- although, to the producers' credit, many are scripted so that Chuck Norris doesn't need to talk much...While Norris indeed has a number of successful and well-received screen projects under his belt, here is the first and only time I recall that he was trusted with performing his own theme music. He is no Roy Orbison...I'm not sure they're even using a DP on this show; it seems that they just mount a camera on a tripod and tell Chuck to start kicking people's faces in for a solid hour, which he seems more than willing to do."

### Recognition

On December 2, 2010, Rick Perry the 47th Governor of Texas named the Norris brothers Honorary Texas Ranger Captains for their work on the series. In his speech he said that "together, they helped elevate our Texas Rangers to truly mythical status."

## Home media

Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS Home Entertainment have both released all seasons on DVD in Region 1. The Complete 1st Season contains the three pilot episodes and the first full season being labeled as just the first season. This has confused some fans, as the episodes are wrongly numbered. Seasons 1–6 have been released in regions 2–4.
On May 12, 2015, CBS DVD released Walker, Texas Ranger – The Complete Collection on DVD in Region 1.
| DVD name | Eps | Release dates | Release dates | Release dates |
| DVD name | Eps | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
| The Complete 1st Season | 26 | June 13, 2006 | October 2, 2006 | October 12, 2006 |
| The Complete 2nd Season | 24 | January 23, 2007 | March 8, 2007 | April 12, 2007 |
| The Complete 3rd Season | 26 | June 12, 2007 | December 4, 2007 | January 10, 2008 |
| The Complete 4th Season | 26 | February 19. 2008 | May 28, 2008 | July 31, 2008 |
| The Complete 5th Season | 25 | July 1, 2008 | October 21, 2008 | October 2, 2008 |
| The Complete 6th Season | 23 | January 13, 2009 | February 19, 2009 | March 5, 2009 |
| The Complete 7th Season | 25 | March 9, 2010 | N/A | March 3, 2011 |
| The Complete Final Season | 24 | June 14, 2005 | N/A | March 3, 2011 |
| Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire | 1 | N/A | January 2, 2007 | March 5, 2014 |
As of December 2023, the entire series is available digitally in the US, available on both iTunes and Vudu, either as separate seasons or in a complete series set., as well as Google TV (and by extension YouTube TV) which are only sold as separate seasons. Unlike the DVD releases the seasons in the digital releases are correctly numbered.

## Spin-offs and merchandise
### Television films

CBS broadcast the television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire, produced by Paramount Network Television (now CBS Studios), on October 16, 2005. Chuck Norris, Sheree J. Wilson and Judson Mills reprised their roles, and Clarence Gilyard shot a cameo for the film but was not featured due to the filming's conflict with a long-planned family vacation. To fill the void, Judson Mills, who was not in the original script, returned to reprise the role of Francis Gage. Nia Peeples, who played the role of Sydney Cooke for seasons 7 and 8, was also not featured in Walker's return to prime-time television. The explanation given was that producers decided not to follow much of the original Walker, Texas Ranger series, as to give the film a fresh look. Even the show's original opening credits with the theme "Eyes of a Ranger" performed by Chuck Norris, was absent from the TV movie.
Although the return of Walker, Texas Ranger did not garner the ratings CBS had hoped for, indications were that CBS was green-lighting future Walker, Texas Ranger "movie of the week" projects. Trial by Fire ended with Sheree J. Wilson's character the victim of a courthouse shooting, leading many viewers to believe that there would be a follow-up movie. However, when CBS announced their fall 2006 prime-time schedule, they said that they would no longer be producing "Sunday Night Movie of the Week" projects, which severely impaired any hopes of Walker's return to television in the foreseeable future. On May 15, 2007, CBS announced its fall line-up, but this did not include the return of the "Sunday Night Movie of the Week". In June 2018, cast members Clarence Gilyard and Sheree J. Wilson expressed interest in reprising their roles in a potential revival of the series, particularly to address the cliffhanger at the end of the post-series film.

### Spin-off

Most episodes were based on true stories. A short-lived series, Sons of Thunder, featured recurring character Carlos Sandoval, who resigns from his post with the Dallas police and teams up with childhood friend Trent Malloy (a protégé of Walker's), to start a private investigation firm.

### Reboot

In September 2019, it was announced that a reboot of the series titled Walker was in development at CBS Television Studios from writer Anna Fricke, with Texas native Jared Padalecki attached to star. Fricke and Padalecki are also set to executive produce the project alongside Dan Lin and Lindsey Libertore from their production company Rideback, as well as Dan Spilo of Industry Entertainment. The CW, home of Padalecki's long-running series Supernatural, emerged as a leading contender to air the series in addition to CBS, which aired the original series. Like the original, the reboot, in which Walker would get a female partner, will explore morality, family, and rediscovering our lost common ground. The logline reads:
   "At the center of the series is Cordell Walker (Padalecki), a man finding his way back to his family while investigating crime in the state's most elite unit. Our broken widower and father of two returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years for a high profile case – only to discover that there's even more work to be done at home. In a nod to the original series, Walker and his new partner — one of the only women in Texas Rangers' history — are the modern day heroes our world needs, following their own moral code to fight for what's right, regardless of the rules."
In October, it was announced that Walker would air on The CW. On January 14, 2020, it was announced that The CW had issued the reboot with a series order.
In February 2020, it was announced that Lindsey Morgan, Keegan Allen, Mitch Pileggi, Molly Hagan and Coby Bell were cast as Micki, Walker's female partner, Liam Walker, Walker's younger brother, Bonham Walker, Walker's father, Abeline Walker, Walker's mother and Captain Larry James, a Texas Ranger Captain. In March 2020, Jeff Pierre, Violet Brinson and Kale Culley were cast as Trey Barnett, an Army medic and Micki's boyfriend and Stella and August, Walker's teenage kids.
It premiered on January 21, 2021.
A prequel series titled Walker: Independence premiered on October 6, 2022.

### Novels

Three Walker, Texas Ranger books, written by James Reasoner, were published by Berkley Publishing Group in 1999. The books are now out of print.
* Walker, Texas Ranger (1998, ISBN 0-425-16815-8)
* Hell's Half Acre (1999, ISBN 0-425-16972-3)
* Siege on the Belle (1999, ISBN 0-425-17112-4)

### In other media

The show has garnered a particular cult appreciation among Conan O'Brien fans, from one of his most popular segments called the "Walker Texas Ranger Lever". He explained since NBC had recently purchased Universal, he could now show clips from Walker, Texas Ranger without having to pay any money. The joke was that he would pull a giant red lever, causing a random and comically awkward scene to play. Random scenes included Walker jumping out of a plane and punching a woman in the face, or being shot in the back while proposing, or Haley Joel Osment playing a boy who is first meeting the rest of Walker's friends, and suddenly interjects "Walker told me I have AIDS". Conan would go on to riff at the bizarre nature of the scene out of context. He did this primarily on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, which prompted the show's star, Chuck Norris in character as Walker, to make a surprise guest appearance by acting out a skit in parody of the action scenes from Walker, Texas Ranger.

## Companies

The series began with Cannon Television, but after Cannon folded, CBS assumed production responsibilities and is currently the full owner for this series. Other companies as listed below have also been involved with the series production and/or distribution.
| Production companies ||
| Amadea Film Productions | TBD |
| Cannon Television | (1993) |
| Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) | TBD |
| Columbia Pictures Television | (1993–2001) |
| Columbia TriStar Television | (2001) |
| The Ruddy-Greif Company | (1993–2001) |
| Top Kick Productions | (1993–1998) |
| Norris Brothers Entertainment | (1998–2005) |
| CBS Productions | (1995–2001) |
| CBS Entertainment Productions | (1993–1995) |
| CBS Broadcast International | (1993–2008) |
| Distributors ||
| Columbia TriStar Television Distribution | (1997–2001) |
| Columbia TriStar Domestic Television | (2001–2002) |
| Mediaset, Canale 5 | (1996) - Italy, TV (First TV) |
| Mediaset, Italia 1 | (1997-2003) - Italy, TV (First TV) |
| Mediaset, Rete 4 | (2002-2013) - Italy, TV (Reply) |
| Duel TV | (2003-2006) - Italy, TV (Reply) |
| FX | (2006-2011) - Italy, TV (Reply) |
| AXN | (2009–present) - Italy, TV (Reply) |
| Mediaset, Iris | (2015–present) - Italy, TV (Reply) |
| Paramount Home Entertainment | (2006-TBD), Germany, DVD |
| Paramount Home Entertainment | (2008, US, DVD, season 5) |
| Sony Pictures Television | (2002–2019, US only) |
| CBS Television Distribution | (2008–present, DVDs and international; US and worldwide since 2019) |
| TF1 | 2004, France, TV |
| TV2 | (2000–2006), Hungary, TV |
| UFA Film- und Fernseh GmbH | 1993, Germany, all media |