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Good evening, Elle!
It's been a busy day!
I remember Gil Favor quite well.
He was the trail boss.
And Charlie Wishbone!
I think Eric Fleming was in several episodes of "Bonanza", too.

https://medium.com/@jeremylr/now-or-never-remembering-rawhide-star-eric-fleming-5c276824d279
I hope this link works!
I did not think the puzzle was "difficult".
Seems a fairly normal one, to me.

Maybe this will work, Elle!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Fleming

Hi, Rusty!
Your memory is obviously much better than mine!
The second link worked fine...thank you.
But, yes, having now seen a photograph of 'Gil Favor', much is coming back to me!
He was the very good-looking trail boss!
All was black and white in those days! (leastways , our TV was)
The goodies wore white shirts and hats...and the baddies wore black!
Simple!
I have finally , bar one clue , done today's crossword.
It has taken me all day on and off.
The setter and I obviously come from different planets!
23d: You might catch guy here running water in northeast (4)
?E?S
I thought of the river Tees for the " running water in northeast"?
But couldn't fit this in with the rest of the clue?
So what am I not seeing, please?

Hello, Elle!
Yes, Gil was a fine looking man.
About 6ft 3 ins I think, just a fraction shorter than Rowdy.
Goodness, Elle, that's a fairly straightforward clue!
You might "catch", as in listening, you see.
"guy/tease" sounds like the river "Tees".
What do you think?

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, thank you, I can see it now that you have explained it to me.
I just didn't realise it was a homophone......
I totally missed "catch " meaning "hear"........
And I don't think I knew that "guy" means "tease".
My mind was on tent ropes!
Ah well!
There was something else I meant to ask you......
In 13d: Family member in stage role swallowing nut (4-6)
I have "step -parent" = family member (def)
step - stage
part - role
en - according to Anne B, this means nut
But why does "en " mean "nut"?
I couldn't find it in Chambers?

Hello, Elle!
I think "guy" in that sense is a verb, is it?
Anne B has "guy/tease".
She also has "en" under "nut", but I have not explored Chambers....yet!
I presume "nut" is another word for "en"?
Must have a look.

Update, Elle!
Are you sure you found your specs?
In my old Chambers, under "nut", it has " an en (printing)" !!!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, indeed I did, my specs are on my nose as we speak!
Ah......but I didn't look under "nut", did I ?
I looked up "en"...... and that definitely doesn't give "nut"!
However.....I have just checked in my Chambers and yes, the reverse is there.....
You are perfectly correct, "nut" can mean "en" ........
But again, I have to ask 'why'?

Hello, Elle!
A good clue, and it ensured we had to go hunting!
I have found out about "nut".
Read this.

http://www.dozenalsociety.org.uk/history/points.html

Hi, Rusty!
"Mutton " and "nut "......
Who would have thought it?!
Well done for unearthing all that information!
We shall go to bed wiser than when we got up!