16 Best Western TV Shows That'll Make You Want to Saddle Up
'Yellowstone' fans will love this list! 🤠
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In the vast landscape of television genres, few evoke the spirit of adventure, honor, and rugged individualism quite like Westerns. From the dusty trails of the Old West to the sprawling ranches of modern-day dramas, these shows have captivated audiences for decades, offering a glimpse into a world where lawmen rode tall in the saddle and the frontier was a place of endless possibility. Take Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone, for example, which emerged as a successful sleeper hit and became one of the most-watched cable television shows. The Western series is so popular that it inspired Kevin Costner to make a Western movie series of his own, set to release later this year. But until then, there are plenty of other cowboy-inspired things to watch, like the best Western TV shows listed below!
The classic genre never really went out of style for The Pioneer Woman. Lucky for us, the explosion of new Western TV series means you can pretty much find any type of subgenre. If you're new to the whole thing or all the buzz has piqued your interest, start with the neo-Western show Yellowstone or the historical fiction prequel 1883. Don't feel like committing to five seasons? Go for a mini-series like Godless or the revisionist Western The English. SciFi fans who like a blend of genres will love Westworld and the ever-quirky series Wynonna Earp. And if you love a good old-fashioned Hollywood or Spaghetti Western, there are plenty of options, too! Either way, settle in for a while: here's your complete guide to the best Western TV shows.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
This must-watch miniseries is based on the true story of Bass Reeves, the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. Set near the end of the Civil War, it follows formerly enslaved Bass Reeves through his career in law enforcement in Arkansas. The gripping show stars David Oyelowo, known for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in 2014's Selma.
Hell on Wheels
If you've ever wondered about the construction of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States, you'll want to give Hell on Wheels a watch. The AMC series is set post-Civil War and follows former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon, who travels westward alongside the construction of the railroad. Cullen initially joins the railroad to avenge his dead wife and son, and becomes a foreman in the process. The show ran for five seasons until 2016, so there are plenty of episodes to binge-watch when you're in the mood to immerse yourself in the Wild West.
Lonesome Dove
This 1989 Western miniseries stars Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones as two former Texas Rangers who run a livery in a small town along the Rio Grande. Itching for adventure, Gus and Woodrow set off on a cattle drive to Montana, filled with danger, drama, and romance. Boasting seven Emmys and two Golden Globes, this adaptation of the novel of the same name is a must-watch for Western fans.
My Life with the Walter Boys
While not technically a Western in the traditional sense, this romantic drama follows recently orphaned Jackie Howard, who relocates to a ranch in rural Colorado (that resembles the Drummond ranch, we might add). The former Manhattanite moves to the country after she's taken in by the Walters, a family of seven sons and one daughter. As she begins to adapt to the slow-paced Western lifestyle, Jackie is thrown into a love triangle that turns the order of the ranch on its head.
Yellowstone
Kevin Costner stars as John Dutton, the patriarch of a powerful family of cattle ranchers in Montana. The family's legacy—control of the land itself—faces its biggest threat in a quickly modernizing state as local politicians, the neighboring reservation chief, climate activists, and corporations all jockey for power. John's ends-justify-the-means mentality for defending his land means plenty of shifting alliances... and TV drama.
Outer Range
Here's another thrilling Western family saga (this one with hints of supernatural): Outer Range follows the Abbotts, a family coping with the disappearance of their daughter-in-law as their neighbors make a play for their ranch land. The drama really starts to pick up when a mysterious black void appears in the Abbotts' pasture.
1883
This limited series is the prequel to Yellowstone and offers a glimpse of how John Dutton's ancestors ended up out West. Real-life couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill star in this origin story, which traces the Duttons' journey as they flee poverty in Texas and traverse the Great Plains to seek a better life.
Justified
U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens has a Wild West method for upholding the law, prompting his transfer from Miami to his childhood home in eastern Kentucky. After you watch the original Emmy-winning series, stay tuned for its 2023 revival.
Longmire
This contemporary crime drama is based on the hugely popular Walt Longmire mystery novels. The series follows a charismatic and dedicated sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. Widowed just a year, Longmire tries to cope with his pain as he puts his life back together.
Godless
Roy Goode, a former outlaw who betrayed his brotherhood, finds refuge in an isolated mining town governed mainly by women. When the vengeance-seeking gang finds out about Roy's whereabouts, the small New Mexico town is forced to defend itself.
Deadwood
Set in the late 1800s, the story centers on the inhabitants of Deadwood, South Dakota, a lawless mining town that was not part of any U.S. state or territory in the post-Civil War years. The HBO original is a gritty, realistic Western that looks at the aftermath of Little Big Horn and the ensuing Gold Rush.
Westworld
Season 1 of this series is purely addicting. Set in a Wild West hyper-realistic fantasy park for the ultra-wealthy, a group of robotic "hosts" begin to deviate from their programmers' carefully planned storylines. The dark odyssey explores the dawn of artificial consciousness and humanity's darkest, lawless instincts.
Billy the Kid
This fun romantic adventure follows the life of the famous American outlaw Billy the Kid. The series begins with his New York origins and Irish roots and continues through his gunslinging frontier days.
Wynonna Earp
This supernatural neo-Western series follows the fictional great-great-granddaughter of real-life frontiersman Wyatt Earp. Dark-horse Wynonna is forced into battling reincarnated outlaws that Wyatt killed until she breaks her family's curse. She's aided by a hunky gunslinger cowboy, a hunky deputy marshall, her half-sister, and her ancestor's magic gun, "Peacemaker."
That Dirty Black Bag
With That Dirty Black Bag, you have eight episodes chronicling an eight-day standoff between two cowboys. On one side is Arthur McCoy, the town's incorruptible yet troubled sheriff. On the other is Red Bill, a notorious bounty known for carrying the heads of his kills in a black bag.
The English
Set in 1890, an Englishwoman (Emily Blunt) arrives in the foreboding American West to seek revenge on the man she blames for her son's death. Along the way, she forges an unlikely friendship with an ex-cavalry scout of the Pawnee Nation Eli Whipp, who's on his own mission to make his way home.
Micaela Bahn is a freelance editorial assistant and recent graduate from Carleton College, where she majored in English literature. She loves running, photography, and cooking the best new recipes.
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