Giddy-up, pardners. Westerns are a perennial favorite among TV lovers. Besides the expansive, picturesque backdrops, the costumes, and the shoot-outs, Westerns delve into timeless themes of colonialism, greed, resilience, white supremacy, and more. They’re also just plain entertaining, and they whisk us away to another world outside of time.
Cult classics Deadwood and Justified certainly spring to mind as modern titans of the genre. However, there are others that define Westerns as we know them, pushing the boundaries of storytelling by incorporating different genres like sci-fi, mystery, and fantasy. “Western” is a broad umbrella. Some series even have the distinct honor of boasting no bad seasons. Here are 10 Western shows that are about as perfect as “perfect” can get. If these don’t tickle your fancy, we’ll see you at high noon in the town square.
‘Hell on Wheels’ – AMC (2011-2016, 5 Seasons)
Before he captained the U.S.S. Enterprise as Christopher Pike, Anson Mount starred in a beloved five-season Western series on AMC. Hell on Wheels follows Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier who seeks vengeance against the Union soldiers who murdered his wife and son during the Civil War. Taking a job at the Union Pacific Railroad, Cullen eventually moves up the ladder as a foreman and later the chief engineer of said railroad.
Hell on Wheels is more than just a sad soldier on the path of revenge (a well-worn film and TV trope, especially in the Western genre). It’s a compelling narrative filled to the brim with fascinating supporting characters, set against the scenic backdrop of the Wild West. It gets compared quite a bit to HBO’s Deadwood, but Hell on Wheels runs on its own (forgive me) wheels.
‘Wynonna Earp’ – Syfy (2016-2021, 4 Seasons)
Wyatt Earp’s great-great-granddaughter takes center stage in Syfy’s Wynonna Earp, a delightfully campy series that really defies genre conventions. It’s more like a supernatural Western. It has an immortal Doc Holliday, and the titular character sends demons called Revenants back to hell with her handy-dandy gun, Peacemaker. Think of it as a Western Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Wynonna Earp boasts snappy, clever one-liners, cheesy special effects, and gripping performances across the board, especially from series lead Melanie Scrofano. It never takes itself too seriously, and that’s part of what makes it so fun. Creator Emily Andras also centers LGBTQ+ representation, and its main queer couple, Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught, gets an epic love story. The series has amassed a small but mighty legion of followers known as Earpers, who rallied to reverse Syfy’s cancellation and helped bring the 2024 TV movie, Wynonna Earp: Vengeance, to fruition. Never underestimate the power of fandom.
‘Deadwood’ – HBO (2004-2006, 3 Seasons)
Any Westerns list wouldn’t be complete without HBO’s cult classic Deadwood. The period drama features real-life historical figures, such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane even star as real-life residents of Deadwood, Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen, respectively. And boy, is “Swearengen” an apropos surname. Deadwood is easily one of the most profanity-laced shows of all time. You could probably make a drinking game out of how many times you hear “c***sucker” in any given scene.
Deadwood is a Western, through and through, especially because it includes Old West legends and focuses on a real-life gold-mining destination. It’s bolstered by captivating performances from Ian McShane and the late Powers Boothe, in particular, who command your attention when on screen. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end with Season 3 – the series returned in 2019 with Deadwood: The Movie.
‘Firefly’ – FOX (2002, 1 Season)
You’re probably thinking, “Why is Firefly on this list? Didn’t it only last one season?” Sure, but it’s a damn good season. This space Western drama series from 2002 elevates the game with its exploration of relevant societal issues on a political, moral, and ethical scale. The 14-episode show sees a renegade crew traverse space aboard the Serenity in the year 2157, specifically a group of “Browncoats” who fought on the losing side of the Unification War against the Alliance.
Firefly was canceled far too soon, but its early axing brought in more superfans – Browncoats – and cemented its status as a bona fide cult classic. The characters are as iconic and memorable as the show’s bevy of quippy one-liners. The series is also a fun blend of genres that paves the way for more sci-fi Westerns in the decades to follow.
‘Frontier’ – Netflix (2016-2018, 3 Seasons)
Khal Drogo is now in the business of the North American fur trade. Jason Momoa stars as Declan Harp in Netflix’s Frontier, a series chronicling said fur trade in late 18th-century Canada. Expect tons of seedy activity and corruption in an unyielding, wintry landscape. Oh, and lots of violence and gore (if the above image isn’t evidence enough). These ruthless characters do whatever it takes to achieve their objectives.
Frontier isn’t masquerading as a deeply thought-provoking period drama – it’s just plain, good old-fashioned fun (with loads of blood). Prepare to tune in and turn off your brain for a hefty dose of Western escapism.
‘Justified’ – FX (2010-2015, 6 Seasons)
FX
Timothy Olyphant is the king of modern Westerns. Well, at least the king of playing characters who know how to fire a gun. FX’s Justified is as critically lauded as it is audience-beloved. It also serves as a breakout series for renowned character actor Walton Goggins, whose back-and-forth with Olyphant is always a delight to watch. It zeroes in on Raylan Givens, a Deputy U.S. Marshal reassigned to the Eastern District of Kentucky Marshal’s Office in Lexington. Initially, the show focuses on the crimes of the Crowder family, with Raylan and Boyd Crowder’s (Goggins) nuanced, deeply damaged “frenemy” bond being particularly fun to explore.
Justified is a great contemporary Western with real-world, grounded elements and dark humor. The characters are well-rounded and complex, too. After six seasons, the show returned with Justified: City Primeval, a 2023 miniseries in which Olyphant reprised his role as Raylan.
‘Dark Winds’ – AMC (2022-Present, 4 Seasons)
From executive producers George R.R. Martin and the late Robert Redford, AMC’s Dark Winds is the Western noir thriller you’re not watching. Based on the Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee series of novels by the late Tony Hillerman, the show follows Navajo Tribal Police officers Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon), Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) in the 1970s Southwest as they investigate a double homicide.
McClarnon is one of my favorite actors working today (he’s hilarious in Reservation Dogs), and he knocks it out of the park as Leaphorn in Dark Winds. The series itself is the epitome of a moody crime thriller that’s beautifully shot and as engaging as they come. It’s also well-supported by riveting storytelling and an immersive mystery that is worth unraveling.
‘Billy the Kid’ – MGM+ (2023-2025, 3 Seasons)
President Snow was an outlaw in another life. Tom Blyth stars as the legendary gunfighter Billy the Kid in the 19th-century-set Western drama Billy the Kid, which aired on MGM+. The show follows the titular character’s humble origins to his cementing himself as the iconic cowboy we know today. It’s a gritty, unflinching Western with a heaping helping of violence, drama, and action, set in the gorgeous but unforgiving American frontier.
Billy the Kid isn’t completely historically accurate, but it doesn’t need to be. The series is entertaining in its own right. Blyth turns in a solid performance as the lead, as do the supporting cast members.
‘Preacher’ – AMC (2016-2019, 4 Seasons)
Okay, one could argue that AMC’s Preacher is more supernatural/adventure than Western, but elements of the latter are prominent across its four seasons. However, it also fits squarely into the neo-Western category, with Southern Gothic flourishes and a splash of black comedy. An adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis and the late Steve Dillon, Preacher is a beast unlike any other. It follows Jesse Custer, a “hard-drinking, chain-smoking” preacher who finds himself in possession of an incredible power. Accompanied by his ex-girlfriend Tulip and vampire buddy Cassidy, Jesse embarks on a journey to find God (literally).
Preacher is a rip-roaring, gun-slinging journey full of twists and turns, bolstered by high-energy performances. It’s weird and unconventional. It’s also ultraviolent and darkly humorous, reminiscent of Prime Video’s Fallout in that regard. Preacher is a solid adaptation that pushes the envelope for how kooky TV can get (in a good way).
‘Outer Range’ – Prime Video (2022-2024, 2 Seasons)
If neo-Western science fiction is your bag, look no further than Prime Video’s Outer Range. Starring Josh Brolin as Royal Abbott, the series focuses on a rancher fighting for his land in Wyoming. Sounds like Yellowstone, doesn’t it? (Without Travis perpetually spinning around on his horse, of course.) However, a mysterious black void at the edge of the Abbott ranch raises serious questions, especially after the arrival of Autumn, a drifter. Royal’s daughter-in-law goes missing, and a rival family endeavors to seize control of the Abbott land. Talk about stressful.
Outer Range is a slow burn on the pacing front, but it’s worth it for the enthralling narrative. There are some intriguing sci-fi ideas explored throughout both seasons, but at its core, it’s a character drama. Unfortunately, it ended on a massive cliffhanger and was canceled by Amazon. That said, it still deserves a place on your Westerns watchlist.
What are your favorite Western shows with no bad seasons? Did we include your picks on this list? Let us know in the comments.
- Release Date
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June 12, 2022
- Network
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AMC
- Showrunner
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John Wirth, Vince Calandra
- Directors
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Michael Nankin
- Writers
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John Wirth, Steven Judd, Max Hurwitz, Rhiana Yazzie, Thomas Brady, DezBaa’
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
