WesternTV shows are just as thrilling and impactful as the movies within the genre, and the series that have premiered in the last decade has pushed the boundaries of what these stories can do. Overwhelmingly, a blend of genres andthe introduction of supernatural and sci-fi within Western narratives has taken hold of seriesin the past ten years. Shows that choose to add new and exciting story elements present recurring themes of what it means to be human. They also tackle the nature of violence in society are seen in these projects.
Somerecent Western TV shows are set in the Wild West, while others take place in the present day. Regardless of whether these TV series chronicle what life was like hundreds of years ago or examine how the myth of the American West impacts people to this day, these series have a lot to say about what the West means to the characters. Whether they exemplify individualism, take the law into their own hands, or build a community from scratch,the characters that recent Western TV shows follow are richer and more complex than ever.
Outer Range
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Created for Amazon Prime Video, Outer Range is a Sci-Fi and Western television series that began in 2022. The series was created by Brian Watkins and stars both Imogen Poots and Josh Brolin. The premise sees a Wyoming rancher trying to care for his farm and keep his land safe when a strange void shows up in one of his pastures.
Not only a great Western series but also one of thebest sci-fi shows of 2024, as it soon becomes clear that defending the family ranch isn’t the only thing the characters are concerned with. The patriarch,Royal Abbott, is played by Josh Brolin in a formidable but nuanced performance.From the beginning, the audience knows that Royal is hiding something. However, the many intersecting mysteries make it difficult to determine who is aware of what’s going on at the center of the story.
The narrative evolves when the viewer discovers the hidden facets of Royal’s past, and the sci-fi elements change the meaning of the entire plot.
Despite being canceled after season 2,Outer Rangeprovides a singular take on the Western genre by using sci-fi and time travelto focus on intergenerational trauma and experiences. The narrative evolves when the viewer discovers the hidden facets of Royal’s past, and the sci-fi elements change the meaning of the entire plot.Outer Rangeis an ambitious show that juggles many storylines at once, but it manages to keep them straight and make the audience care about each character.
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Preacher
Preacher follows Jesse Custer, a Texas preacher, on his quest to confront the divine for abandoning humanity. Aided by Cassidy, a vampire, and Tulip, a gun-toting Texan, he wields the power of Genesis, a potent force born from an angel and a demon, to challenge celestial authority.
Religion and the supernatural clash inPreacher, a fantastical Western TV show that stars Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer, a preacher who develops incredible abilities. Based on the comic book series of the same name,Preacherincorporates many unique stylistic elements into the Western genre,making it unlike other offerings on television. Ruth Negga is also featured in the story as Tulip, Jesse’s girlfriend and a force of nature who propels the story and action forward.
The combination of horror, the supernatural, and the Western setting givesPreacherthe ability to touch upon many different aspects of the genres and looks at the intersection between faith and the mythic power of the American West. Jesse himself is imbued with a mystical power that both roots him in his world and makes him different from everyone and everything around him.Preacheris defined by its violence and extremity, providing gory and explosive actionsequences whenever possible.
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1883
1883 is a Western drama series set at the beginning of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise and explores the origins of the Duttons and how Yellowstone came to be. The show chronicles a generation of the Dutton family as they embark on a difficult journey to the western frontier to establish a new legacy.
Taylor Sheridan’s seriesYellowstonewas so popular that it incurred several spinoffs, including the prequel series1883.The show follows the central Dutton family as they arrive in Montanaafter traveling across the West and eventually settle on the ranch that would stay in the Dutton family until the present day. Sam Elliot, the seminal Western actor, stars as Shea Brennan, the leader of the expedition that the Duttons join in search of a home and destiny.
The 15 Best Western TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked
Some of the greatest TV shows ever made were Westerns, as stories of bandits, cowboys, and outlaws have consistently made for engrossing viewing.
1883is the story of a group of homesteadersand chronicles the perils and revelations that occur while witnessing the dangers and breathtaking beauty of North America. Alongside the Duttons are many immigrants, cowboys, and other individuals who are seeking to escape their circumstances and build a new life. Like many of Sheridan’s projects,1883touches upon the tensions between the invading white settlers and the Indigenous people who worked to protect their land.
1883 (2021–2022)
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Hell on Wheelsmay have begun a little over ten years ago, but the series continued into the early part of the last decade because of how well the series connected with audiences.Depicting the construction of the transcontinental railroadacross the U.S.,Hell on Wheelsexplores the intersection between the many different people who took jobs building the rail lines. The characters take these positions because they have nowhere else to go or are trying to profit off the coming railroad boom.
Anson Mount stars as Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier who joins the railroad to exact vengeance on the man who killed his family. As the seasons progress, Bohannon becomes more invested in the railroad and its power and heals from his loss, allowing him to move on and make a difference. While Bohannon’s position as a member of the Southern army is problematic,the series focuses on a variety of individuals and experiences and tries to make the story’s world as far-reaching as possible.
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That Dirty Black Bag
That Dirty Black Bag is a gritty Western series set in a lawless frontier town, focusing on the conflict between Sheriff McCoy and a bounty hunter named Red Bill. The plot delves into themes of violence, redemption, and survival in a brutal environment filled with unpredictable characters.
Audiences might recognize Dominic Cooper, the actor who plays protagonist Arthur McCoy, from his roles inMamma Mia,My Lady Jane, andPreacher, but he takes on a whole new type of role inThat Dirty Black Bag.The morally gray and violent drama was filmed in part in Italy,like the classic Spaghetti Westerns of the past, and revels in exploring what aspects of the genre hold up today and what could be elevated. Cooper is joined by Douglas Booth as Red Bill, a bounty hunter that the sheriff McCoy teams up with.
Gore and visceral violence are readily available inThat Dirty Black Bag, which is less concerned with realism than it is with thrilling and instantaneous drama.
Like many of thebest Spaghetti Western movies,That Dirty Black Bagunderstands that morality is subjective in the Old West, and the roles of good and evil aren’t set in stone. Gore and visceral violence are readily available inThat Dirty Black Bag, which is less concerned with realism than it is with thrilling and instantaneous drama. However,That Dirty Black Bagis aware of how outlandish his gruesome imagery can become and will poke fun at itselfand the Spaghetti Western genre.
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Godlessexplores what might have happened in the Old West if a town was led by women and what they would do to ensure their community’s survival. Featuring a fantastic ensemble cast with Merritt Weaver, Michelle Dockery, and Jeff Daniels,Godlessis elevated by the compelling performances from the actorsand fun subversions of the classic tropes and pitfalls of the Western genre. Despite being a miniseries,Godlesspacks in the action and tension of a much longer series.
The fact that the show is populated by so many strong and complex female characters sets it apart from traditional Western fare. However,Godlessdoesn’t just tell a character-driven story, asthe thrust of the narrative involves outlaws, betrayals, shootouts, and every classic element of the Western genrethat makes it so action-packed. The central town in the series, La Belle, holds many secrets and dramas the outsiders who come to La Belle must unravel as the residents try to keep them out.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Continuing the expanded universe of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise, Lawmen: Bass Reeves is a western drama that acts as a spin-off of 1883 and follows the titular lawman who became the first black Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River. The show will follow his journey to becoming the lawman he was known to be, all while fleshing out the greater Yellowstone universe.
David Oyelowo leadsLawmen: Bass Reevesas the real lawman himself. Reeves was an iconic figure in U.S. history who made his mark on the West.Lawmen: Bass Reevestouches upon Reeves' experience as a Black man in the Old West and his relationship with the Indigenous peoples in the territory that he oversaw. The series lives up to Reeves' reputation as one of the best deputy U.S. Marshalls in history,as he shows off his considerable skills of both fighting and investigation throughout the narrative.
While there is some of the action that the West is known for, the show takes its time and slowly develops a classic story that shines as a Western.
ThoughLawmen: Bass Reevesseason 2isn’t confirmed, this isn’t because the first season wasn’t a success.Combining elements of interpersonal drama and crime proceduralsand weaving them together through the use of real people and events,Lawmen: Bass Reevesis a compelling watch and understands its audience. While there is some of the action that the West is known for, the show takes its time and slowly develops a classic story that shines as a Western.
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Wynonna Earp
Based on a comic book series by Beau Smith, Wynonna Earp tells the story of the titular heroine who is the great-great-granddaughter of Wyatt Earp. The series follows Wynonna’s return to her hometown, where she must do battle with the reanimated criminals previously killed by Earp. Aided by her sister, her great-great-grandfather’s immortal partner Doc Holiday, and a member of the US Marshals, Wynonna works to keep Purgatory safe from the revenants.
Wyatt Earp might be a real historical figure, butWynonna Earpmakes his legacy more fantasticaland thrilling than ever. The title character, Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano), follows in her ancestor’s footsteps and is tasked with the destiny of hunting and destroying the spirits of the famed Western outlaws that Wyatt stopped so long ago. Grappling with both her fate and her family’s legacy, Wynonna fulfills her role and is a formidable enemy to the revenants.
10 Great Westerns With Women In Leading Roles
Traditionally, the Western genre has been dominated by male actors, but there are many top-tier Westerns with a woman in the leading role.
Wyonnon Earpmakes a great case for why supernatural and fantasy stories go so well with Western narratives, as the conceit of the series allows contemporary characters to interact with the past. Additionally,the series broke many boundaries in terms of LGBTQ+ representation and the centering of a strong female characterat the heart of a Western story. Most Westerns throughout history have focused on men and their heroic deeds, butWynonna Earpflips the script on this trope on purpose.
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Westworld
Westworld is a television series set in a futuristic Wild West-themed amusement park where advanced android hosts cater to human guests' desires. The series explores the themes of artificial consciousness and human morality as the lines between reality and artificiality begin to blur.
Based on the 1973 movie,Westworldfaced ups and downs after being adapted for television, butwhen the series was good, it was one of the best additions to the genre.Westworldseamlessly blends the Western and sci-fi genres, as the series is set in a future where people can live out their fantasies, good and evil, in a Western-themed park. This is possible through the use of androids, which are remarkably human and start remembering their experiences and loops.
. The Old West is the perfect setting forWestworldto take this on, as it holds a reputation for lawlessness and chaos.
Westworldpushes the viewer to question the nature of humanityand what it means to be human, which is often a deeper theme in the classic Westerns, which explore archetypes of good and evil. The Old West is the perfect setting forWestworldto take this on, as it holds a reputation for lawlessness and chaos. However, even thoughWestworldis set in the future, it quickly disproves the idea that there are certain ways Western stories must play out as the characters take their fates into their own hands.
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Yellowstone
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on August 20, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
Yellowstonewas the start of Taylor Sheridan’sWesternTV dynasty, as the series' popularity has led to multiple spinoffs and increased interest in Sheridan’s work in other genres. While all of his work is compelling, there’s a reason whyYellowstoneremains such an enduring favorite, even thoughKevin Costner won’t be featured in the second half of season 5and beyond. Though the show has been on the air for many seasons now, it’s only grown in critical and audience estimation.
Like Sheridan’s other work,Yellowstoneisn’t afraid to look critically at the West,especially in a contemporary context. The Duttons might be the central family that the series follows, but that doesn’t mean they’re perfect or thatYellowstonecondones everything they do.Yellowstonehas made such a significant mark because it’s visually and aesthetically reminiscent of a romanticized period of U.S. history. However, it’s also unafraid to interrogate it and to include plenty of character drama to uplift the political and cultural commentary.
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