50 best Western TV shows of all time

- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- On air: 1958-1961

Many hit Westerns of the '50s and '60s could be called historical fiction, but few were based on real Old West figures, like "Bat Masterson," which ran for three seasons and saw Gene Barry take on the lead role.

The NBC series centered on Masterson's many exploits in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; he was a buffalo hunter, a U.S. Army scout, a sheriff, a professional gambler, and a journalist. Though the show was based on the 1957 book "Bat Masterson" by Richard O'Connor, the events portrayed were fiction. For example, the real Masterson used a cane, but only in the series did he conceal a sword inside it.

Fun fact: "Bat Masterson" aired around the same time as ABC's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," which made its debut a few years prior in 1955 and featured Mason Alan Dinehart as Masterson (who worked with Earp in real life). Viewers came to associate Dinehart so heavily with the character that they had difficulty adjusting to Barry on the NBC show.

- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- On air: 1964-1970

Another series from the height of TV's golden age of Westerns about an actual historical figure, "Daniel Boone," aired for an impressive six seasons on NBC. Actor Fess Parker, previously known for playing Davy Crockett on a 1950s ABC eponymous miniseries, took on the American pioneer and frontiersman role.

While his performance delighted viewers who dutifully tuned in for 165 episodes, the legislature of Kentucky, where Boone settled in 1775, was less than thrilled with the show's historical inaccuracies. Not only was 6-foot-5-inch Parker at least half a foot taller than the real Boone, but he also had seven children, not two like on the show.

The most egregious artistic liberty of all—or the most controversial at the time—was that the historical figure didn't wear the TV character's iconic coonskin hat. Instead, he wore a beaver hat. Nevertheless, you'd be hard-pressed to find a young fan of the show who wasn't wearing a coonskin cap in the '60s.

- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- On air: 1965-1967

The '60s saw a rise in the popularity of sketch comedy. The sort of slapstick, physical, almost Vaudevillian entertainment was in demand on TV, and "F Troop" certainly falls into that category.

Set at the end of the Civil War, it takes place at the fictional Fort Courage, Kansas, and follows the hijinks of a group of soldiers led by the clumsy Capt. Wilton Parmenter gained his rank by accidentally instigating the final charge of the Battle of Appomattox Court House. Though the show got decent ratings, the network canceled it after two seasons when new owners bought out Warner Bros. "F Troop" made a comeback in the '90s through Nick at Nite programming.

- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- On air: 1959-1973

With 440 episodes and 14 seasons, "Bonanza" was one of the longest-running Western shows of all time, second only to "Gunsmoke." It was also the first Western shot and broadcast in color, giving it an almost otherworldly appeal in a time when black-and-white was the only way people saw the world.

The show follows the Cartwrights, a family that made their way of life as ranchers in Virginia City, Nevada. While the Cartwrights themselves were fictional, the show incorporated a decent amount of reality into the settings, themes, and overall concepts of the show. Moreover, the show became popular and maintained its popularity because it bucked the convention that most family shows took. The show illustrated that the Cartwrights seemed to succeed without forcing themselves to conform to the societal standards at the time—a rarity for a Western.

- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- On air: 1965-1966

"Branded" gives us a different look at an old-time Western. The premise follows Capt. James McCord, a Union soldier fresh off the Civil War. Stripped of his title after allegedly abandoning his post, McCord is branded as a coward—but he is innocent. The show was one of the first of its kind, offering a less kitschy approach to the typical Western. As such, it became wildly popular in its first season. The ratings were a success for the show's sponsor, Proctor & Gamble, who paid for the entire production. The show, however, was canceled within a year due to a conflict with the show's star.

- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- On air: 1998-2000

The series followed the story of seven men, each with a different skill, recruited to take on Confederate raiders threatening a Native American village. The men ended up settling down in a small town, offering their skills to those around them. The TV series was made in the footsteps of the 1960 film, touted by Will Joyner in the New York Times to be one of the last great Hollywood Westerns.

- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- On air: 2016-2021

Not your ordinary Western, "Wynonna Earp" is a story for the 21st century. Following the adventures of Wynonna Earp, the fictional great-great-granddaughter of Wyatt Earp, the series weaves in supernatural, suspense, and sci-fi themes that make it the kitschy, comedic horror modern audiences crave. In the show, Earp returns to her birthplace, Purgatory, which is near the Canadian Rockies, where her mission is to fight reincarnated outlaws that her great-great-grandfather had sent to their graves.

- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- On air: 1981-1982

"Bret Maverick" was the sequel to the wildly popular series "Maverick," also starring James Garner. Playing the quintessential gun-slinging poker player in the Old West, Garner and the Maverick franchise showed the titular character's evolution from a young ne'er do well looking for high stakes and high risks to the older, wiser man who settles down on a ranch and owns a saloon. Garner was beloved in the role and managed to carry the franchise from the 1950s to the 1980s. "Bret Maverick" was the final frontier for the franchise, however, and was canceled after 18 episodes.

- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- On air: 1977-1978

Dan Haggerty played the role of John "Grizzly" Adams, a hunter from the 19th century who was wrongfully accused of murder, sending him to seek refuge in the wilderness. There, he rescued a grizzly bear cub and named him Ben, and the two set off on adventures in the wild. The family-friendly series received mixed reviews, but according to John Leonard's New York Times review, it was a tear-jerker filled with human emotion. Still, it only ran for one year.

- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- On air: 1957-1965

If you were an Oregon Trail kid, "Wagon Train" would have been right up your alley. The long-running Western TV series followed a wagon train heading west in the years following the Civil War. Each episode shifted focus to a different member of the wagon train, and along the way, they battled the elements, Native Americans, and the human condition. The year "Wagon Train" debuted, five other Westerns ranked among the top 10. By 1961, it was the #1 show.

- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- On air: 2017-2019

AMC's dramatic Western, "The Son," follows the story of one family across two different periods in life. At the center of it was Eli McCullough, who once was a Comanche prisoner, and grew up to be a powerful Texas ranger seeking wealth in oil. According to Jen Chaney's review on Vulture, it was "a handsomely shot, well-acted, and respectable piece of work." But, she added, it lacked enough depth or insight to make it one of the television greats, especially for a network like AMC with titles like "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men" on its roster.

- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- On air: 1974-1983

One of the best coming-of-age book series of all time, "Little House on the Prairie" captured the attention of generations of readers across the country. It was a TV film before evolving into a long-running television series. Set in the village of Walnut Grove, Minnesota, during the second half of the 19th century, the heartwarming series followed the coming of age of Laura Ingalls.

- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- On air: 2016-2020

Ashton Kutcher's Netflix series was a Western cowboy comedy with a few surprising threads of serious drama. The series followed the story of Colt, a washed-up football star who returns to his hometown in Colorado, where he lived with his father and brother. According to James Poniewozik in the New York Times, it was a prodigal son story and a mishmash of styles, from the multi-camera production and live studio audience to the more serious storylines that dealt with real and relatable family dynamics.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1956-1961

"Zane Grey Theatre" was an anthology series that brought to life the many stories and novels of prolific Western author Zane Grey. Airing for five seasons on CBS during the '50s and '60s, the show had a bit of an edge over other Westerns: Grey's novels often included a strong vein of romance that ran throughout the stories. They also paid homage to the contributions of women on the frontier. When coupled with the action and drama Western lovers were accustomed to, it gave the show a wider audience, as it appealed to women and men alike.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1965-1967

"Laredo" was a Western TV series that followed a group of Texas Rangers who were always on the trail of bank robbers and other outlaws. "Laredo" aired just as the public was beginning to grow tired of the traditional Western genre, so producers decided to put a comedic spin on "Laredo" to keep audiences engaged. "Laredo" was also a spinoff of "The Virginian."

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1952-1970

The second-longest-running Western series (it ran for 18 years), "Death Valley Days" was a narrated story by the Old Ranger, regaling the audience with the tale of America's movement West and the settling of the great frontier. Ronald Reagan had a stint as the Old Ranger for a time and starred in a 1965 episode, as well. Analysts say that this series helped Reagan secure his political career as governor of California.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1968-1970

"Here Come the Brides" was a Western comedy based on the Mercer Girls project. The project brought "marriageable" women from the East Coast to a budding Seattle in the 1860s. In "Here Come the Brides," a mostly male logging community threatens to quit and leave due to a lack of women. So, 100 women are brought to Seattle to keep the employees happy.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1955-1961

"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" was a television series credited with reviving the story of one of the now-iconic personalities of cowboy culture, according to Wide Open Country's Courtney Campbell. Airing in 1955, premiering just four days before "Gunsmoke," it was the first television Western written for adults. The 30-minute program told the story of Wyatt's adult life for six seasons, from his role as town marshal in Kansas to the final episodes based in Tombstone, Arizona Territory.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 2013-2014

In this made-for-Hulu Western (Hulu's third original venture), John Henry Hoyle, a Harvard graduate, becomes the new sheriff of Great Bend, Kansas, in 1875. Brian Lowry wrote in Variety that while the new sheriff awkwardly cites his Ivy League credentials whenever there's an opportunity, what made him stand out was his innate gun skills—"quick draw," if you will.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1967-1971

Set in the 1870s, "The High Chaparral" followed rancher "Big John" Cannon, who strove to make a successful cattle ranch in the desert of the Arizona Territory on the Mexico border, surrounded by hostile Apache Native Americans. At the time, what made "The High Chaparral" revolutionary, according to Henry C. Parke in True West Magazine, was that it hired a number of Hispanic actors, which drew in a large Latin American audience.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1971-1973

Despite their crimes, two of the most wanted outlaws in the West have never actually shot anyone. Because of this, they're offered amnesty so long as they stay out of trouble for a year. The plot line is similar to a Western version of the Witness Protection Program, where the two use the aliases Smith and Jones. According to Metacritic, "Alias Smith and Jones" was a smashing success, and the public was consistently hungry for more episodes to find out what happened next.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1962-1971

The third-longest-running Western (behind "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza"), "The Virginian" was TV's first 90-minute Western. It follows the story of a lawman who comes to the Wyoming Territory in the 1890s.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1965-1969

Set on a ranch in California in the late 1800s, the one-hour episodes followed the lives of the Barkley family as they worked to defend their home. Unlike other Westerns at the time, the fact that a woman, Victoria Barkley (Barbara Stanwyck), led the family, set "The Big Valley" apart. The New York Times' David Browne noted this made the 1965 series ahead of its time.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 1972-1975

Martial arts met Western drama in this 1972 television series starring David Carradine. It followed Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk, through the West looking for his half-brother, Danny Caine. Carradine's role earned him his cult status, according to Bruce Weber in the New York Times. Because of "Kung Fu," the actor became entrenched in martial arts and Eastern philosophy.

- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 2017-2018

"Damnation" was a period drama set in 1931 that followed a man with a seedy past who poses as a preacher. He worked to band townsfolk together to stand up to the greed and corruption that had infiltrated the town. The show was a statement on the evils of America, but, according to Mike Hale in The New York Times, "Any fidelity to the story's supposed place and time is clearly incidental ..." The show only ran for one season.

- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- On air: 1959-1963

Set in 1870s Wyoming, "Laramie" was the story of Slim Sherman and his brother, who work to save their family ranch after their father dies. The two main stars of Laramie were John Smith and Robert Fuller, but the show's many guest stars were prominent figures in Hollywood Westerns.

- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- On air: 1989-1992

This series followed the adventures of the young, handsome group of Pony Express riders based in the Nebraska Territory in the years before the Civil War. It was the first time a traditional Western had been on TV in a decade. Its first season received decidedly low ratings, but the show made a comeback after moving to a new time slot in its second season.

- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- On air: 1949-1957

Marked by his mask and trusty steed, Silver, the Lone Ranger was a former Texas Ranger who battled the bad guys in the Old West. "The Lone Ranger" got its start in radio back in 1933. It came to television in 1949 and starred Clayton Moore. The series was ABC's first big hit of the early 1950s.

- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- On air: 1951-1962

With most Westerns painting the picture of a dusty trail on horseback, "Sky King" flew in with a different perspective on the expansive frontier. The show started as a radio program in 1946 and followed Arizona rancher and pilot Schuyler "Sky" King as he flew through the air with the greatest of ease—all while hunting down criminals and rescuing lost travelers around town. The plots often revolved around death-defying stunts and near-death situations that the ranchers had to escape. The radio show was on air until 1954, simulcasting along with the television series for the first few seasons.

- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- On air: 1959-1961

The "Rebel" was a short-lived series about Johnny Yuma, a Confederate army veteran haunted by memories of the Civil War and all the horrible violence he carried out while fighting on the wrong side of history. The show was a departure for the production company, as they typically worked solely on game shows. Starring Nick Adams as Yuma, the plotline followed the veteran's search for an inner peace he didn't know how to find. He wandered the West, mostly alone, writing about his adventures and fighting perceived injustices—a moral penance for the injustices he carried out.

- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- On air: 1957-1962

Based on the biography of Wells Fargo detective Fred J. Dodge, the story followed special agent Jim Hardie, "the left-handed gun," who helped save stagecoaches from outlaws and other violence. The actor Dale Robertson did all his own stunts. He was also right-handed.

- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- On air: 1959-1965

The premise of "Rawhide" followed the adventures of drovers along the rough and challenging cattle drives of the 1860s. Each episode involved the drovers encountering people along the way and typically involved solving their problems or rescuing them from trouble. It was in "Rawhide" that an American icon was born. The TV series debuted in 1958 and was the first Western to give Clint Eastwood his big break.

- IMDb user rating: 8
- On air: 2003

Set in Silver City, Colorado, Deputy Marshal Jared Stone and private detective Larimer Finch were on the right side of the law during the early beginnings of forensic science. It was a USA Network show starring Tom Berenger and Peter O'Meara, described by Alessandra Stanley in the New York Times as "a cozy, old-fashioned detective show in the vein of 'Columbo' or 'Murder, She Wrote,' set amid the dirt streets and swinging saloon doors of 'Bonanza or 'Gunsmoke.'" It only ran for one season.

- IMDb user rating: 8
- On air: 1955-1963

"Cheyenne," which debuted in 1955, made its mark on the Western scene by being the first hour-long drama to run for more than one season. It told the story of Cheyenne Bodie, a kind-hearted cowboy wandering the West in the years following the American Civil War. It inspired many spinoffs and crossovers and won the 1957 Golden Globe Award for Television Achievement.

- IMDb user rating: 8
- On air: 1958-1961

"Wanted Dead or Alive" was a Western series from the late 1950s that starred Steve McQueen as Josh Randall, a Civil War veteran-turned-bounty hunter who roamed the dusty roads of the Wild West looking for outlaws to turn in. This show was Steve McQueen's big break. It also gave early screen time to Michael Landon, who skyrocketed to superstar status when he eventually moved on to "Bonanza."

- IMDb user rating: 8
- On air: 1957-1962

Bret and Bart Maverick were a couple of brothers with eyes for style and hearts for gambling. The series followed the two migrating from town to town in the Wild West as they pursued the next good time. Unlike other Westerns, the Maverick brothers didn't adhere to strict macho stereotypes. An obituary for Jack Kelly, who played Bart Maverick, noted that the Maverick brothers weren't the "quickdraw" personalities typical of Western heroes. They showed fear in the face of danger and even ran from it.

- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- On air: 1958-1962

Set in Laramie, Wyoming, during the second half of the 19th century, "Lawman" was about Marshal Dan Troop, his deputy Johnny McKay, and an orphan. Peter Brown, who played Deputy McKay, was so popular on the program he became a fixture on TV Westerns. He went on to hold guest star roles in "Cheyenne," "Maverick," and "The Virginian."

- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- On air: 1965-1969

Before the Secret Service, there was James West and Artemus Gordon, a gunslinger and inventor. The characters in the show "The Wild Wild West" served under Ulysses S. Grant to keep the peace and thwart evil in the rough-and-tumble American West. Because of the series' spy nature, equipped with disguises and gadgets, critics have likened it to the James Bond of the West, as noted by Neil Genzlinger in the New York Times obituary of Robert Conrad, who played Jim West.

- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- On air: 1955-1975

Based on a long-running radio program, "Gunsmoke" was one of the longest-running television Westerns, running for 20 seasons. It followed Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), who set out to protect Dodge City, Kansas, from outlaws.

- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- On air: 1976-1979

Actor James Arness made his name in "Gunsmoke," but later starred as Zeb Macahan in "How the West Was Won." The plot follows Macahan after the start of the Civil War, caring for his brother's children as they make their way west. It was an expanded version of the film of the same name, which premiered in 1963 to a lackluster review from The New York Times.

- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- On air: 1957-1959

The handsome patrician Don Diego de la Vega, from the Spanish California era, has a secret: it's his alter ego, the masked swordsman, Zorro. Teamed up with his butler, Bernardo, the two protected their fellow citizens from the Spanish in 19th-century Mexico. The show starred Guy Williams, who was born Armand Catalano. His father was an avid fencer who helped him prepare for the role, according to his obituary in The New York Times.

- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- On air: 1958-1963

Rancher Lucas McCain lived in the New Mexico territory in the 1880s with his son Mark. The half-hour show followed his trials and tribulations, raising his son in hostile territory while battling desperados. The original series, created by Sam Peckinpah, ran on ABC from 1958 to 1963. In 2011, Cynthia Littleton wrote in Variety that a remake was coming back to CBS, but it never came to fruition.

- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- On air: 1993-1994

Harvard-educated Brisco County (a man, not a place) decides he's finished practicing law and makes a dramatic switch to bounty hunting. "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr." tells his story with his sidekick, Lord Bowler, and horse, Comet, as they hunt down his father's killer. Variety writer Todd Everett likened it to an Indiana Jones of the West, which isn't all that surprising, seeing as it was the brainchild of Indy writer-producers Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse.

- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- On air: 2012-2017

Craig Johnson's mystery novels about Walt Longmire came to life in this A&E (and later Netflix) Western crime drama. After Longmire, the sheriff of Absaroka County in Wyoming, faces the death of his wife, his daughter and deputy help him slowly put his life back together. A&E canceled the series after three seasons, but a small-yet-vocal following caused a stir, and Netflix picked it up.

- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- On air: 2011-2016

In this series, Cullen Bohannon is a Civil War veteran who witnesses the death of his wife at the hands of Union soldiers. Scarred by this memory, he seeks revenge and stumbles into Hell on Wheels, a lawless town associated with the construction of the Union Pacific railroad. In the Hollywood Reporter, Elizabeth Snead wrote that the show accurately depicted the "true-to-life greed, corruption, deception, and life-and-death struggles" surrounding the construction of the transcontinental railroad.

- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- On air: 1957-1963

This CBS Western told the story of Paladin, a West Point graduate who turns into a gun for hire. The series aired in 1957; in 2012, writer David Mamet said he was planning a reboot. A deal was made with CBS, but the reboot never came to fruition.

- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- On air: 2022-2023

If you are looking for a star-studded Western series with modern telling and epic cinematography, look no further than the Paramount Plus original series "1923." The prequel to "Yellowstone" stars Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and a cavalcade of acclaimed actors. The show focuses on the Hutton family as they struggle through problems brought on by the rise of Western expansion.

- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- On air: 2010-2015

Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, "Justified" tells the story of one U.S. marshal using his own Wild West style of justice in Harlan, Kentucky. His unique brand got him into hot water with his higher-ups, as well as the criminals he put away. The chemistry of the show's leads, Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins, was the stuff of legend. Goggins' character was supposed to die in the first season, but creator Graham Yost changed his plans after seeing the actor's performance play out.

- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- On air: 2004-2006

Set in a mining town following the Civil War, "Deadwood" was a picture of lawlessness coming to life. The series followed a debauchery-fueled town home to fortune hunters and outlaws, all built on land taken from the Sioux Tribe. "Deadwood" had a remarkable cult following, but was canceled after just two seasons. Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote that it "seemed destined to be remembered as television's great unfinished masterpiece" until a movie was released in 2019. The film took was set a decade after the TV show ended.

- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- On air: 2018-2023

Modern-day cowboy Kevin Costner leads this drama series, following a sixth-generation rancher, John Dutton. He's working in a world of corruption and shifting alliances, which always puts his ranch at risk. The series takes place during the emergence of Yellowstone National Park, America's first national park. The series has been a huge ratings winner for the Paramount Network.

Additional writing by Jaimie Etkin. Copy edited by Kristen Wegrzyn.