THE HUNTRESS (2000-2001) MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOUNTY HUNTERS FOR MOTHER’S DAY 2026

THE HUNTRESS (2000-2001) – This Forgotten Television series is appropriate for Mother’s Day. Annette O’Toole and Jordana Spiro starred in what was basically a continuation of the Steve McQueen movie The Hunter. McQueen depicted the real-life bounty hunter Ralph “Papa” Thorson.

In 1994 Thorson was killed by one of his previous captures via car bomb. He also planned on killing Ralph’s widow Dottie Thorson and daughter Brandi. The two women carried on “Papa” Thorson’s bounty hunting business while simultaneously dodging assassination attempts by the man who killed their father and husband.

This actually happened and was covered in the True Crime book Deadly Games, written by Christopher Keane, who had also written The Hunter, on which the Steve McQueen film was based.

A made-for-TV movie titled The Huntress was produced in 2000 about the mother-daughter bounty hunters based on Keane’s book and launched the 2000-2001 series of the same title. The series ran for 28 episodes in the spirit of previous television dramas about real-life figures like Serpico, Elliott Ness and others.

Keane wrote or co-wrote nearly every episode.

THE HUNTRESS – This telefilm aired March 7th, 2000 with Annette O’Toole portraying Dottie Thorson and Aleksa Paladino playing Brandi Thorson. Paladino would be replaced by Jordana Spiro for the subsequent series. Craig T. Nelson played Ralph Thorson before his murder.

Alanna Ubach played another real-life character – Robin Ripley, a tough juvenile placed in Dottie Thorson’s temporary custody. The chemistry among the three actresses is great, with daughter Brandi focused and ready, mother Dottie struggling to adjust to bounty hunting and Robin providing extra street-savvy. 

Pamela Norris developed the TV Movie and resulting series for USA Network. James Remar played Tiny and Luis Antonio Ramos also starred, playing Guzman. The telefilm covered the story that drove Dottie into bounty hunting and set up the series.

THE EPISODES:

WHAT RALPH LEFT BEHIND – Dottie and Brandi track down a fellow bounty hunter turned criminal. Gary Busey guest stars. 

THE KID – A talkative man that our heroines nab knows dangerous people who are also on his trail. Adam Nimoy directed.

SPRINGING TINY – The Thorsons’s latest quarry provides a lead to freeing Tiny from prison. Guest-starring Michael McKean, who also co-wrote.

SCATTERED – A squabble between mother and daughter drives Brandi to join a rival bounty hunter and leaves Dottie handling a dangerous case solo.

SURPRISE PARTY – A party intended as a trap for multiple fugitives threatens to get out of the ladies’ control. With Bart Braverman.

BAD BOYS AND WHY WE LOVE THEM – Brandi fights her attraction to a felon. Meanwhile, Dottie goes on her first date since becoming a widow.

KIDNAPPED – When Dottie is abducted, Brandi and Tiny join forces to find her.

PARTNERS – The Thorson ladies enlist Tiny’s help to track down one of his former partners in crime, but he goes rogue and wants revenge on the man. Barry Livingstone of all people appears.

BLACK WIDOW – Our heroines pursue a deadly woman who lures men into marriage and then kills them. Meanwhile, Brandi begins dating a police officer. Guest starring Rance Howard and Deborah Van Valkenburgh.

THE TWO MRS. THORSONS (Part 1 of 2) – In Las Vegas, Dottie is arrested over suspicions that she murdered an ex-wife of Ralph. Alanna Ubach is back as Robin for this episode.

THE TWO MRS. THORSONS (Part 2 of 2) – Dottie takes it on the run to catch the real killer and clear her name. 

SMARTEST GUY IN THE WORLD – When the Thorsons are hired to track down a tycoon’s shady fugitive partner, the client falls for Dottie. 

RUN, RICKY, RUN – A car that the ladies have accepted as collateral for a bounty payment gets stolen by drug dealers and must be tracked down.

GENERATIONS – An old friend of Tiny’s skips out on parole and the Thorsons trail him as he searches for loot he hid following an old robbery. With Ed Asner and Geoffrey Lewis.

WHO ARE YOU? – A former capture of the Thorson ladies has targeted Brandi for murder. Robby Benson guest stars. 

FAMILY THERAPY – A psychiatrist claims he is being stalked by a fugitive who is one of his ex-patients. David Groh and Gina Hecht are in the guest cast.

BUSTED – While seeking leads on a drug dealer on the run, Brandi is mistakenly arrested on drug charges herself.

UNDERCOVER – Dottie and Brandi go undercover to make sure a suspect really is the fugitive arsonist they are tracking. Guest starring Terry Kiser and Wendy Schaal.

AH, WILDERNESS! – When a target the Thorsons are chasing winds up going over a cliff to his doom, the ladies come to suspect that his shady brother actually killed the man to prevent him being taken in. 

SPOOKED – Brandi begins to think she’s catching sight a man she once killed in self-defense. 

DIVA – When our heroines are between pursuits, a pop singer hires them to be her temporary bodyguards. 

SHOWDOWN – I’m sick to death of Tiny already, but the Thorsons try to find evidence clearing him of a fresh crime he has been accused of. This guy’s becoming the Urkel of The Huntress. With Jim Staahl. 

NOW YOU SEE HIM – While Brandi tracks down a stage magician who skipped bail, Dottie falls ill and is taken care of by Tiny and a dangerous friend. “Did I do that?” 

BASIC MATERNAL INSTINCT – The Thorsons find themselves helping the young, streetwise daughter of a fugitive they are after.

WITH GREAT POWER – A mentally unstable man who has delusions of being a superhero helps our heroines track down their latest quarry. Co-written by long-ago Spider-Man writer Gerry Conway.

THE QUEST (Part 1) – In order to pay off a huge amount in back taxes that the late Ralph owed the IRS, Dottie and Brandi accept a case involving a very deadly fugitive. With Sandra Purpuro.

THE QUEST (Part 2) – The Thorson ladies find the solving of a 1989 kidnapping case vital to being able to resolve the big money pursuit they are engaged in.

D&B, INC. – Our heroines face fresh competition from a new bounty hunting service that uses state-of-the-art technology. Michelle Duffy guest stars.

*** Unfortunately, no further episodes were forthcoming for this promising series.