10 Recent Western TV Shows That Are Actually Set In The Wild West

May 10, 2024, midnight

Movies

10 Recent Western TV Shows That Are Actually Set In The Wild West

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Summary The Western genre can capitalize on tropes created by movies, subverting them to defy audience expectations.

Shows about the Wild West draw from real events and people, or they might explore fictional narratives.

Including atmospheric elements that make the show feel like the Wild West leads to a success and well-received series.

TV shows in the Western genre can be set in the present day or place their characters in the Wild West, dealing with the complex legacy of this part of United States history. Instead of directly commenting on contemporary issues, TV shows set in the past are allegorical. Despite this, racism, sexism, and discrimination in general are just as relevant today as they were during the formation of the West. In many ways, the idea of the West is an American fantasy, and the best Western TV shows attempt to dispel the illusions about what life was like back then.

The tropes of shootouts, gunslingers, and corrupt cowboys who play by their own rules are largely fictionalized and shouldn't be taken as an accurate retelling of history.

Almost every Western TV show couldn't exist without classic Western movies because they created the genre conventions that series have the opportunity to subvert or mine for content. Themes of violence, individuality, and conquering a lawless land were invented for storytelling and cinema. The tropes of shootouts, gunslingers, and corrupt cowboys who play by their own rules are largely fictionalized and shouldn't be taken as an accurate retelling of history. Some shows about the Old West attempt to recreate a gritty realism, while others take pleasure in extrapolating on the fantasy.

Related 10 Classic Old Western TV Shows That Still Hold Up Today With shows like Yellowstone and Lawman: Bass Reeves popularizing TV Westerns again, it's worth looking back at the classic shows that still hold up.

10 That Dirty Black Bag (2022)

A limited series told and shot in the Spaghetti Western style

Shot in Italy and Morocco, That Dirty Black Bag follows the popular trend of the Spaghetti Western, the genre in which Clint Eastwood made his name. Some of the best characters come from Sergio Leon's Spaghetti Westerns, and recent television shows will try to model themselves after this example. In That Dirty Black Bag, the central themes are moral ambiguity, and how two men on opposites of the law might have more in common than they think.

Each character is well-developed and fleshed out, creating a vibrant landscape that feels lived in and fresh all at once.

Dominic Cooper stars as Arthur McCoy, a classic Old West sheriff who finds himself against the wall when it's time to do what's right. In only eight episodes, That Dirty Black Bag justifies its length, even though at times the story might have been better served in the film format. Each character is well-developed and fleshed out, creating a vibrant landscape that feels lived in and fresh all at once. The shootouts are exciting, and even though no character is above reproach, it's fun to root for the ones that distinguish themselves in skill and charisma.

Watch That Dirty Black Bag on AMC+.

9 The Son (2017 - 2019)

Greed gets the better of a family's patriarch as he tries to build his legacy

Pierce Brosnan cuts an imposing figure in The Son, an ambitious show that attempts to tell a multi-generational tale of a Texan family. It's based on the novel of the same name by Philipp Meyer and follows the life of Eli McCullough (Brosnan) in two distinct phases of his life. As a boy, he was adopted by Comanches and raised among them, but in his future, he's the kind of man people have nightmares about. He exploits the land as an oil baron and ruthlessly cuts down his competition in the business field, supposedly in the name of family.

Despicable though he may be, Eli is a compelling antihero, and the question of how he became such a corrupted, violent man is on every audience member's mind. Oil is something shows about the Wild West are hesitant to touch on, as it's such a hotly debated topic and gave rise to some of the richest and most horrible individuals in American history. The Son is unafraid to engage with this fact and wants the audience not only to dislike Eli but to fear him as well.

Watch The Son on AMC+.

8 Hell On Wheels (2011 - 2016)

In the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, lines are drawn and loyalties are tested

Hell on Wheels Created for AMC television, Hell on Wheels is a Western series that tells the story of a Confederate soldier who joins the construction project of the first transcontinental railroad built in the United States as a means to hunt down the murderers of his family during the Civil War. The story uses this soldier as a framing device for the show's historical retelling of several pivotal moments in the reconstruction of the United States post Civil War. Release Date November 6, 2011 Cast Anson Mount Dominique McElligott , Common , Colm Meaney See at Amazon See at Walmart See at Best Buy

Running for five seasons, Hell on Wheels achieved significant success as a period-piece show, as many don't find as wide an audience because of the setting.

Running for five seasons, Hell on Wheels achieved significant success as a period-piece show, as many don't find as wide an audience because of the setting. At first, the show's premise seems to be one solely of revenge, as the protagonist, Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), is a former Confederate soldier who's tracking the Union soldiers who killed his family. This is similar to the conceit of Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales, but Hell on Wheels then pivots to focus on the construction of the transcontinental railroad.

Railroad engineering might not sound exciting on paper, but Hell on Wheels makes it something special. The characters travel across the West alongside the railroad, meeting interesting people and experiencing all types of triumphs and hardships along the way. Common plays Elam Ferguson, another worker on the railroad who plays a key role in the first four seasons. As the rule of the government spreads and towns spring up with the railroad, Hell on Wheels sees the legend of the Wild West start to fade into memory.

Watch Hell on Wheels on Prime Video.

7 1883 (2021 - 2022)

The Yellowstone spin-off that sees the Dutton's traveling West

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. Cast Isabel May , Tim McGraw Release Date December 19, 2021 Seasons 1 Directors Ron Burkle

Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone took the world by storm when it premiered in 2018, and from there, every season of the Yellowstone franchise has provided new threats and opportunities for the Dutton family. 1883 goes back the furthest in time, seeing the Duttons journey West and eventually find themselves in Montana, claiming the Yellowstone Ranch that will cause so much strife and profit in the future. Alongside them, other immigrants and travelers make the trek across the West, hoping to start fresh and build a new life.

Like the rest of the Yellowstone shows, 1883 comes with its fair share of loss and sacrifice, but unlike them, in 1883, the biggest enemy the Duttons have to face is the West itself. No one is fighting against them or trying to steal their land, but in the face of nature and the impact of such a pilgrimage on the body, their company comes up against hunger, disease, and death in all its forms. The show also sets up the legacy that the Duttons will carry with them into the next two centuries.

Watch 1883 on Paramount+.

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6 Billy The Kid (2022 - Present)

An imagined retelling of Billy The Kid's life as a legendary outlaw

Billy the Kid Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Based on the life of a legendary gunslinger, Billy the Kid is a Western television series created initially for Epix and later for MGM+. The series follows the exploits of the Western icon as he navigates the Old West, from his humble origins as an Irish Immigrant to the various small-town wars in the American Frontier. Cast Tom Blyth , Eileen O'Higgins , Daniel Webber , Alex Roe Release Date April 24, 2022 Seasons 2 Showrunner Michael Hirst

The star of Billy The Kid, Tom Blyth, is best known for his role as Coriolanus Snow in the recent Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. However, Blyth makes himself at home portraying the gunslinger Billy The Kid, chronicling his life from a young boy trying to survive as an Irish immigrant, to the outlaw that songs were written about. What makes Billy The Kid a refreshing take on the Old West, is that it plays into the curious nature of legacy, and shows that the legend of Billy quickly outgrew the man himself.

As a historical figure, Billy is interesting because of the stories that were told about him.

The series was recently picked back up after a hiatus, and season 2 part 2 is currently airing. Billy The Kid season 2 takes everything that made season 1 compelling and turns up the volume and budget to create an even more exciting show. While Billy The Kid is less concerned with historical accuracy than it is with telling an enjoyable story, this is to be expected. As a historical figure, Billy is interesting because of the stories that were told about him. Understanding how stories shape people's perceptions is part of the fun of the show.

Related Returning Western TV Show Rewrites 125-Year-Old Death Of Real Legendary Gunman A prominent real-life figure in the Lincoln County War was killed in the Billy the Kid season 2 premiere, marking a stark deviation from history.

5 Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023)

A miniseries about the first Black U.S. Marshal, Bass Reeves

Lawmen: Bass Reeves Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available 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. Cast David Oyelowo , Dennis Quaid , Forrest Goodluck , Lauren E. Banks , Barry Pepper , Grantham Coleman , Demi Singleton , Garrett Hedlund Release Date November 5, 2023 Seasons 1 Directors Taylor Sheridan , Damian Marcano , Christina Alexandra Voros

Little was known about Bass Reeves in popular culture before David Oyelowo took on the role and Sheridan made it his latest project. The Lawmen: Bass Reeves' filming locations add to the atmosphere and realism of the story, as Reeves was a real man with a rich life outside his work as a Marshal. Many Black men were cowboys during the heyday of the Wild West, which is a fact frequently white-washed out of history. Reeves is one in a long line of Black men who have protected and defended innocent people.

The series attempts to explore his life and give him his due, and Oyelowo is the perfect actor for the job. Due to the nature of a miniseries, the show didn't have time to unpack Reeves' entire life and legacy, even though his record as a Marshal is one of the most impressive in history. However, the series is still worth watching as it shows an aspect of the West that has been overlooked many times and gives insight into an individual who should not be forgotten.

4 The Head Of Joaquín Murrieta (La Cabeza De Joaquín Murrieta) (2023)

A Man becomes a legend in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War

The Head of Joaquín Murrieta unpacks the prejudice and violence Mexicans faced at the hands of white Americans during the Old West period and does this through the lens of the folk hero, Joaquín Murrieta.

Many of the most popular American Westerns in movie history paint white men as the heroes of the story and portray people of color, particularly Mexicans, as the villains. The Head of Joaquín Murrieta unpacks the prejudice and violence Mexicans faced at the hands of white Americans during the Old West period and does this through the lens of the folk hero, Joaquín Murrieta. Murrieta's reputation has been compared to that of Robin Hood, as he protected and helped many people living on the Mexican-American border.

In The Head of Joaquín Murrieta, Murrieta (Juan Manuel Bernal) and Carillo (Alejandro Speitzer) find their fates intertwined as they carve out a place in the contested territory. Witnessing the West from the perspective of two men with such strong convictions and personalities makes for explosive action and drama. For those unfamiliar with the story of Joaquín Murrieta, watching his life unfold is riveting. Additionally, since the Gold Rush is such a cornerstone of Western history, it roots the series in a memorable setting for audiences recently learning about this history.

Watch The Head of Joaquín Murrieta on Prime Video.

3 Django (2023)

A TV series based on the original Italian film, not Tarantino's

Django (2023) Cast Matthias Schoenaerts , Nicholas Pinnock , Lisa Vicari , Noomi Rapace Release Date February 13, 2023 Seasons 1 Creator(s) Leonardo Fasoli , Maddalena Ravagli

While the most famous recent work based on the 1966 movie, Django is Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, the recent TV show provides an additional reimagining. Tarantino is well-known for incorporating revisionist history into his work, and Django the series separates itself from this, choosing to follow the narrative of the 1966 film. Premiering on Netflix in 2023, Django sees the titular character, Django (Matthias Schoenaerts) stop at nothing to reconnect with his daughter and never lose her again.

However, things are rarely easy for Django, as he's the kind of man who attracts trouble no matter what he does. Despite being named for him, the series doesn't concern itself with Django after he finds Sarah (Lisa Vicari), his daughter. This is because Django quickly turns into a romantic drama centering on the love triangle between Sarah, John (Nicholas Pinnock), and Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace). The Old West is merely a setting for this conflict to unfold, but it still provides plenty of atmospheric tension to make the story interesting.

Watch Django on Netflix.

2 Godless (2017)

An amazing cast and nailbiting genre make Godless a worthy new Western

Godless (2017) Cast Jack O'Connell , Michelle Dockery , Scoot McNairy , Merritt Wever , Thomas Brodie-Sangster Release Date November 22, 2017 Seasons 1 Creator(s) Scott Frank

Women are too often forgotten about in discussions and depictions of the West, but Godless remembers and celebrates them. Some of the best female Western heroes in movies were based on real people. While Godless is fictional, the bravery and grit of the female characters represent the women who lived in the Wild West. In the series, the outlaw, Roy Goode (Jack O'Connell) takes refuge in a New Mexico town run and protected by women, much to his surprise.

This imagined town run by women in the West might not have truly existed, but Godless proposes that it easily could have and that women belong at the center of stories about the West.

If Godless hadn't been a miniseries, it could likely have gone on for several seasons, as it had strong critical reception, and played with the Western genre interestingly. This imagined town run by women in the West might not have truly existed, but Godless proposes that it easily could have and that women belong at the center of stories about the West. Besides the central setting of the town, Godless also explores other aspects of the West as a group of men pursues Roy Goode to the settlement.

Watch Godless on Netflix.

1 Deadwood (2004 - 2006)

The definitive modern-day take on the Wild West

Deadwood Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Deadwood is a western drama series created for HBO by David Milch. The series takes place in Deadwood, South Dakota, where corruption runs rampant in the gold-mining era as the settlement existed outside the U.S. territory expansion following the Civil War. As the town was the site of a major gold find, it continues to attract people from all walks of life - especially opportunistic criminals. Cast Timothy Olyphant , Ian McShane , Molly Parker , Jim Beaver , Brad Dourif , John Hawkes , Paula Malcomson , Leon Rippy , William Sanderson , Robin Weigert Release Date March 21, 2004 Seasons 3 Showrunner David Milch

Despite only running for three seasons, Deadwood is considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time, and certainly the best one about the Wild West. The story centers on the real-life town of Deadwood, South Dakota, where there was no law and people could come to behave however they wanted. It takes the story of the lawless West to its inevitable conclusion as society slowly starts to creep in and change the residents' lives. For history buffs, few shows as entertaining as Deadwood included many characters that truly roamed the open plains of the West.

The protagonist, Seth Bullock is played by Timothy Olyphant, who has found success in the Western genre for most of his career since Deadwood concluded. Due to its popularity, Deadwood was rebooted with a film, Deadwood: The Movie, in 2019, so fans could say their goodbyes to the characters after their untimely end in 2006. Though Deadwood has the West to thank for its unforgettable narrative, the writing and performances shine the most when watching Deadwood today.