10 Best Western TV Shows, According To IMDb

The Western subgenre is one of the most popular genres in film history. Naturally, when it came to television, the Western made an easy jump from the big screen to the small. Westerns make great TV because they are usually simple morality tales deal with common themes.

Some of the greatest television shows of all time have been Westerns, and the genre consistently garners high ratings on TV, especially during its heyday in the 1950s and ’60s. Nevertheless, the glut of Western shows means that some were better than others and some earned high scores on IMDb.

10 Bonanza (1959-1973) – 7.3

Stream On Amazon Prime

The early days of television was populated with many Westerns of varying quality. Bonanza tells the story of the Cartwright family as they live and work on their ranch in Nevada. Unlike a lot of other shows which followed outlaws or lawmen, Bonanza focused on one family and all of the adventures they could get into.

The show ran for nearly two and a half decades before it wound down its historic run. Today, the show is fondly remembered by fans who watched it then and fans of classic TV alike.

9 Wagon Train (1957-1965) – 7.5

Stream On Fubo

While most Westerns have a large scope, such as an entire town or ranch, Wagon Train gave viewers a look at one small aspect of the Old West. The show followed the adventures of wagon trains as they left from Missouri on their way to their final destination in California.

The show gave fans one-off stories along the trail and the setting was unique for the time it was made. The show had a main cast but mostly featured new characters each week in an anthology style presentation. Though not as popular as some of its contemporaries, Wagon Train was successful enough to run for nearly a decade.

8 Gunsmoke (1955-1975) – 8.0

Stream On Paramount Plus

Gunsmoke is not only a legendary show in the Western genre, but with its 20 seasons, it is one of the longest-running shows in television history. The series follows Marshall Matt Dillon as he tries each week to keep the peace in the rough frontier town of Dodge City.

Gunsmoke set the pace for what television shows could achieve and spanned generations of TV viewers in its two decade long run. The excellent storytelling and memorable characters have helped to cement its place in TV history and few shows have been able to match Gunsmoke’s longevity.

7 Longmire (2012-2017) – 8.3

Stream On Netflix

Not all Western shows take place in the Old West. Many series have modernized the Western tropes to great success. Longmire follows Sheriff Walt Longmire as he tries to put the pieces of his broken life back together while balancing the duties of the job at the same time.

The show blended what was great about classic Westerns with a modern sensibility perfectly. The premise is ripped straight from Western cliche but the addition of a psychologically damaged lead character brings it into the modern day. The show also seamlessly blended episodic television with an ongoing narrative.

6 The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr. (1993-1994) – 8.3

Rent On Amazon

Not all great Westerns lasted a long time and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. is a show that was cancelled too soon. The series follows a buffoonish bounty hunter who stalks the west looking for his bounties who usually possess futuristic weapons.

Bruce Campbell was the perfect choice for the lead role and he brings his usual slapstick energy to the part. The blending of Western and science fiction made for unique viewing each week and it was unlike anything else on TV at the time. Unfortunately, the sci-fi Western lasted only one season but has garnered a large cult following nearly thirty years later.

5 Hell On Wheels ( 2011-2016) – 8.3

Stream On AMC Plus

AMC continued their hot streak when they green-lit the Western Hell on Wheels. The show is set shortly after the Civil War and follows a Confederate soldier named Bohanan who stalks the West looking for the men who brutally murdered his wife.

The show had everything that made AMC’s programing great at the time. The production value was top notch and the writing was very strong. The plot was riveting and kept fans tuning in week after week to follow Bohanan’s exploits. The show ran for a respectable amount of time but didn’t run too long and cause fans to lose interest.

4 Have Gun – Will Travel (1957-1963) – 8.4

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Though it stood in the shadow of bigger series such as Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel has garnered rave critical praise since its release. The show follows the mysterious Paladin, a gun-fighter for hire who patrols the west.

Outlaws are a big part of the Western mythos but Have Gun – Will Travel offered a moralistic spin on the gunslinger trope. Paladin is a moralist at heart and often takes jobs because they are the right thing to do, though his morals can lead into grey areas often. The show ran for a relatively short time compared to its peers but offered quality episodes week after week.

3 Justified (2010-2015) – 8.6

Stream On Hulu

Modern Westerns are an extremely popular off-shoot of the genre and have produced some of the best TV of recent memory. Justified follows the adventures of a big city U.S. Marshall who is reassigned from Miami to his hometown in rural Kentucky.

Justified is unique for many reasons, not the least of which is that it doesn’t actually take place in the West. Despite this geographic relocation, it is every bit a Western TV series and still exhibits all of the classic tropes of the genre. The uniqueness of the location and the depth of the characters made for required viewing and gave fans something to different to see from their favorite genre.

2 Deadwood (2004-2006) – 8.6

Stream On HBO Max

Deadwood was the big-budget Western television show that fans had always wanted. The show follows the exploits of the residents of Deadwood, South Dakota, and all of the crime and corruption that goes into making a town.

Though the show only lasted a few seasons, it was a phenomenon and is one of the best HBO shows of the early 2000s. The series brought a gritty realness to the Old West and portrayed it as it really was, the good and the bad. The show was so popular that it also spawned a sequel film years after the series ended.

1 Yellowstone (2018-Present) – 8.7

Stream On Peacock Premium

Yellowstone revived what viewers loved about Westerns and set it in a contemporary world perfectly. The show follows a ranching family in Montana that has to fight back against people who hope to encroach upon their homestead.

The show is an outstanding modernization of Westerns because it features classical Western tropes and figured out a clever way to make them fresh. The show deals with very real issues of farmland loss and the themes of property and individual rights. The star power of its lead helps to elevate the show and sees Kevin Costner in one of his best roles.

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