Meltdown on the Mesa

**Meltdown on the Mesa** was the first story arc on Riders Radio Theater. It consisted of 13 episodes. The next story-arc was Mystery of The Lost Ozone.

## **Plot Synopsis**

Slocum and Charlie attempt to drive Riders in the Sky out of Tumbleweed Valley. First they cause the herd to stampede, leading to the cattle falling off cliff and dying, then they burn the bunkhouse down. Ranger Doug, Too Slim, and Woody Paul escape the fire safely, but Sidemeat is trapped inside.

## **Episodes**

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 101

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: Back In The Saddle Again
* Commercial 1: Bio-Feedbag
* Song 2: Sidemeat sings Sidekick Heaven
* Commercial 2: Call Of The Wild
* Song 3: Don't Fence Me In
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 1
* Song 4: Tumbling Tumbleweeds
* Song 5: So Long, Saddle Pals

**Notes**

* Taped on April 25, 1988.
* Call Of The Wild was a sketch on the Riders' first television series: *Tumbleweed Theater*.
* First "appearance" of Slocum and Charlie on RRT.

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 102

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: Back On Those Texas Plains
* Commercial 1: Udder-Budder On A Rope
* Song 2: Cattle Call/Circus Train
* Commercial 2: Prairie-Air
* Song 3: Here Comes The Santa Fe
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 2
* Song 4: Cool Water
* Song 5: So Long, Saddle Pals

**Notes**

* Prairie-Air was a sketch on the Riders' first television series: *Tumbleweed Theater*.

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 103

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: Chant of The Wanderer
* Commercial 1: Toolkit In A Holster Part 1
* Song 2: Salting of The Slug
* Song 3: Along The Navajo Trail
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 3
* Song 4: Blue Shadows On The Trail
* Song 5: So Long, Saddle Pals

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 104

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: That's How The Yodel Was Born
* Commercial 1: Toolkit In A Holster Part 2
* Song 2: Miss Molly
* Song 3: Too Slim's Face Playing
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 4
* Song 4: Carry Me Back To The Lone Prairie
* Song 5: So Long, Saddle Pals

**Notes**

* This isn't the Riders' first encounter with a Genie played by Ranger Doug. On their *Tumbleweed Theater* television series, and like in this episode of RRT, Sidemeat finds a pot where a Genie resides. Unlike the Genie featured here in RRT, the *Tumbleweed Theater* Genie gives you the literal interpretation of what you want. Sidemeat asked for dough (as in the slang term for money), and the Genie gave him a wooden chest full of dough (as in baking dough).

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 105

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: Bound To Hit The Trail
* Commercial 1: Riders Radio Theater Presents: Dead-Air
* Skit 1: Too Jaws Interview
* Song 2: Jingle Jangle Jingle
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 5
* Song 3: Lonely Yukon Stars
* Song 4: So Long, Saddle Pals

**Notes**

* First "appearance" of Too Jaws (sometimes spelled *Too Jaws*) on RRT. Two Jaws was a character seen in the Riders' live performances and on their first television series: *Tumbleweed Theater*.
* First episode to feature Bruce "Zeno Clinker" Nemerov providing the sound effects.

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 106

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: When It's Round-Up Time In Texas
* Guest Performance 1: The Nashville Jugband
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 6/Guest Performance 2: The Nashville Jugband
* Guest Performance 3: The Nashville Jugband

**Notes**

* The Nashville Jugband were the first of many guest stars on Riders Radio Theater.
* Fred LaBour (Too Slim) is one of the founding members of The Nashville Jugband.

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 107

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: There's A Blue Sky Way Out Yonder
* Commercial 1: Mammoth Vocational Dogie Training
* Skit 1: Woody Paul's Rope Tricks
* Song 2: At The End of The Rainbow Trail
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 7
* Song 3: Home On The Range

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 108

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: I Ride An Old Paint
* Commercial 1: Studebaker
* Skit 1: Elvis/Drywall Paul Performance
* Song 2: Song Of The Bandit
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 8
* Song 3: Ridin' Down The Canyon
* Song 4: So Long, Saddle Pals

**Notes**

* First "appearance" of Drywall Paul on RRT. He was originally created for the Riders' 1979 album *Horse Opera*, but the album's release was pushed back to the mid-80's, making Drywall's first appearance on *Tumbleweed Theater*.
* The second verse of "I Ride An Old Paint" were changed for RRT. The original lyrics were "Ol' Buck Jones had a daughter and a son, his son went to Denver but his daughter went wrong. His wife got killed in a bloody knife fight, but still he keeps singin' from mornin' till night."

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 109

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: Skyball Paint
* Commercial 1: A Side Of Opera
* Skit 1: Reincarnation
* Song 2: No Rodeo Dough
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 9
* Song 3: The Wayward Wind
* Song 4: So Long, Saddle Pals

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 110

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: I Grab My Saddle Horn And Blow
* Commercial 1: Yodel-Drome
* Skit 1: Introducing Joey The Cow-Polka King
* Song 2: Silver Bells
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 10
* Song 3: Red River Valley
* Song 4: So Long, Saddle Pals

**Notes**

* First episode to feature Joey The Cow-Polka King.

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 111

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: Blue Bonnet Lady
* Commercial 1: Pops Presents The Best of Woody Paul
* Skit 1: Introducing Sergeant Dudley Do-Right/The Beaver Flip
* Song 2: Spring-Time In The Rockies
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 11
* Song 3: So Long, Saddle Pals

**Notes**

* First "appearance" of Sergeant Dudley on RRT. He first appeared on the television series Tumbleweed Theater, and later the album cover for Horse Opera, but he was not featured in the album itself.

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 112

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: Yodel Blues
* Commercial 1: A Side of Shakespeare
* Guest Performance 1: Mike Snider
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 12
* Song 2: So Long, Saddle Pals

### Meltdown on the Mesa Episode 113

**Songs & Segments**

* Song 1: Cowboy Jubilee
* Commercial 1: Too Slim's Big Note Face Playing Book
* Guest Performance 1: Vic Willis: Sioux City Sue
* The Cowboy Way: Meltdown On The Mesa Episode 13
* Song 2: Teardrops In My Heart
* Song 3: So Long, Saddle Pals

Notes

* Joey The Cow-Polka King is replaced with Vic Willis as the orchestra.
* Last chapter of the *Meltdown On The Mesa* storyline.