Westernshave evolved over time, from the golden days of the genre until today, with movies andshowsthatpush boundaries and combine Western-style stories with so much more. For example,Taylor Sheridanembraces the Western genre in his movies and shows, combiningdrama,romance, andthrillswith some Western-style flair. But, Sheridan’s shows are successful examples; not every creator was lucky to get more than one season for their passion projects and gun-slinging creations.
From the 1950s until now,there have been numerous shows in the genre that deserved a lot more than their short run. They were either innovative blends of Western andscience fiction, or just well-acted dramas set in the Wild West that were underrated even when they were released. Although fans have only one season of each of these shows to enjoy, theirtelevision(or streaming) run was glorious and worth revisiting occasionally.
10’The Yellow Rose' (1983)
Created by John Wilder and Michael Zinberg
Starting off strong, the Western soap operaThe Yellow Rosestars everyone’s favorite cowboy,Sam Elliott,and the lovelyCybill Shepardas residents of the Champion family ranch, The Yellow Rose. The show follows their daily lives and drama, withShepard portraying the ranch head Wade Champion’s widow Colleen, and Elliott, his illegitimate son,who shows up to work on the ranch. The other two of Wade’s sons also confront Colleen with every chance they get, and the interpersonal drama is up to par withYellowstonetoday, minus the gritty and turbulent violence thatYellowstoneoften boasts.
The show aired on NBC and was canceled after 22 episodes, but it had its fair share of reruns during the 1990s and 2000s.People generally loved watchingThe Yellow Roseand were disappointed it was cut short so abruptly. However, it isa soap opera Western, so it may not be everyone’s cup of tea; it could be this or the fact that shows in the 1980s focused more on police procedurals, when hits likeMiami Vicewere all the rage. The Yellow Rose had a nice way of making the Western genre more approachable to wider audiences, and the attempt was good enough to get people to enjoy its reruns whenever possible.
The Yellow Rose
The Yellow Roseisn’t currently available for streaming in the US.
9’Walker: Independence' (2022)
Created by Seamus Kevin Fahey and Anna Fricke
Image via the CW
WalkerwithJared Padalecki was canceledafter four seasons on The CW, where it found a homeas a remake of the belovedWestern seriesWalker, Texas Ranger. Whenthe spin-offWalker: Independencefirst aired in 2022,the enthusiasm was high for a female-led series set in the Wild West,similar to the limited seriesGodless.Walker: Independencewasn’t meant to be a miniseries, though, and its creators had some expectations of the network to give them another season due to its favorable reviews and nature. However, beforeWalkerwas canceled,Walker: Independencegot axed pretty quickly, galloping off into the sunset just after it learned how to ride.
Walker: Independenceis different fromWalker;it’s actually set in the Wild West and is considered a prequel. It follows Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara), a wealthy Boston-based widow who seeks revenge after witnessing the brutal murder of her husband. Abby also encounters a drifter, Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr), who joins her on her quest for revenge. This prequel series is pretty fun, and it could’ve been bigger, but it might be better for fans to consider it a miniseries rather than lament over its fast cancelation.
Walker: Independence
8’Klondike' (2014)
Adapted from the book by Charlotte Gray
Klondikeis a great take on the Western genre because it focuses on real-life stories,particularly those that took place during the Klondike Gold Rush. This is a period of populous migrations to the Yukon, where gold was discovered, and numerous gold prospectors rushed to the area.Charlotte Graywrote the novelGold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike, which was later adapted into this series. It’sthe first scripted series created by the Discovery Channel, which may be why it’s relatively unknown and only lasted for six episodes.
Though technically a miniseries,Klondike’s fate could have been much longer than its short six-episode runtime. It starsRichard Maddenas Bill Haskel andAugustus Prewas Byron Epstein, two prospectors who travel to the Yukon from New York City.The series follows their difficult journey through tough nature, though that’s not the most threatening part of their adventure. They get into more trouble by encountering people who wish to tamper with their plans or join up with them. The rest of the cast consists ofAbbie Cornish,Tim Roth,Sam Shepard, andTim Blake Nelson, among others.
7’Hatfields & McCoys' (2012)
Starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton
Technically, another miniseries,Hatfields & McCoys,was produced by the History Channel and only ended up having three episodes. While this could be enough,the story could have been bigger, more elaborate, and even more entertaining if it continued. Though it follows the famous confrontation between two affluent cowboy families in Virginia and Kentucky, some freedom could have been taken in writing its characters better and with longer premises. But, not to cry over spilled milk, the three episodes are rewatchable and star some big Hollywood names, likeKevin Costner,Bill Paxton, andTom Berenger.
Only humans can have bitter family feuds that span across decades and then have that feud become their country’s canon.
Hatfields & McCoysshows onlythe feud between the two families; Costner plays William Hatfield, an affluent Confederate supporter, and Paxton steps in as Randall McCoy, also Confederacy-adjacent and a farmer.Apparently, the feud lasted for thirty years, with the two patriarchs leaving their confrontation as a sort of legacyfor their kids. Additionally,Randall McCoy lost five childrenbecause of the violence caused by the feud. Only humans can have bitter family feuds that span across decades and then have that feud become their country’s canon; this behavior would be hard to explain to any alien.
Watch on Amazon Prime
6’Firefly' (2003)
Created by Joss Whedon
So, is anybody in the mood to shift from a Western soap opera to a Western in space? If the answer is yes, look no further than the adored and reveredFirefly, one ofJoss Whedon’sunjustly canceled one-season wonders.Fireflywas incredibly popular when it came out, and it was advertised (and defined) as a Western space drama. It marked the rise ofNathan Fillionand his hordes of adoring fans, but it most of all made Westerns look pretty darn coolto the “nerd” culture and pop culture overall.
Fireflyis set in 2517, and follows a crew ofnine people traveling across space and getting into all sorts of adventures aboard the spaceship Serenity. The ensemble is shown to be from different walks of life, with different experiences and worldviews, but still getting along and working together for higher causes. Besides Fillion, the cast consists ofMorena Baccarin,Gina Torres, andAlan Tudyk, among others. The writing is sharp, the humor is dry, and the characters are charmingly relatable, but CBS didn’t see its future past the filmed 14 episodes. Many other shows pay homage toFirefly, condemning its unjust cancelation, such asThe Big Bang Theory,Community, and even Nathan Fillion in his own series, ABC’sCastle.
5’The Good Lord Bird' (2020)
Created by Ethan Hawke and Mark Richard
Ethan Hawke’s been consistent over the past decade, choosing roles worthy of his talent and reputation;The Good Lord Birdis oneof the shows where he thrills, and is a project he himself believed in and decided to adapt from the same-name novel byJames McBride. The series was produced by Blumhouseand consists of only eight episodes. It may not have been technically canceled, butpremiering it as a one-season show was surely a downside, since there could’ve been so much more to say about one of America’s most interesting characters.
John Brown was an abolitionistwho fought in the Bleeding Kansas confrontations, which were caused by the ideological debate around slavery. Although intensely religious, Brown felt his purpose was to fight and abolish slavery, and Hawke embraced his persona inThe Good Lord Bird, showing an interesting side of history.The story is actually told from the perspective of a young Black boy nicknamed Onion(Joshua Caleb Johnson), who was part of Brown’s crew of abolitionist fighters. It also focuses on the famous 1859 raid on Harper’s Ferry. Eight episodes seems too little for a personality like Brown, but Hawke did agreat job of portraying himin this intense and entertaining Western series.
The Good Lord Bird
Watch on Prime
4’Peacemakers' (2003)
Created by Rick Ramage and Larry Carroll
The interesting premise ofPeacemakerswasn’t enough for it to get a second season from the USA Network.It ran for nine episodes until it was canceled, which saddened many people who loved the showand gave it rave reviews. Just as science fiction can find its place in the Western genre withFirefly, so can forensic investigation, combining the elements that madeCSIpopular with the everlastingly popular Western setting. Tom Berenger plays U.S. Marshal Jared Stone, who is set to find the town founder’s murderer through some diligent detective work. He deducts, interrogates, and analyzes.
The forensic investigation setting juxtaposed with the beautiful Colorado landscapes(though the stunning nature and the show itself were actually shot in Vancouver) gives the show its necessary Western vibes. The show has a pretty solid IMDb rating (7.9) and fans everywhere found it amusing. However, after its cancellation,Peacemakerswas quickly forgotten and almost never mentioned again. Fans interested in seeing theforensic procedural-Western combowill more than likely have a blast watching this show.
Peacemakers
Watch on Sling TV
3’The Quest' (1976)
Created by Tracy Keenan Wynn
The great Western series starringKurt Russellwas consistently low in viewership, so NBC had no choice but to cancel it. RevisitingThe Questalmost 50 years later,many Western and Kurt Russell fansswear it’s not just some of his best work, but a greatly entertaining Western series. Russell is joined byTim Matheson, and the two play brothers, Morgan and Quinton Beaudine. The Beaudines arelooking for their long-lost sister Patricia who was taken during a raid when their parents were killed. Morgan (Russell) was held captive by an Indian tribe for eight years, so his nickname is Two Persons, to mark his growing up in the tribe.
Morgan and Quinton reunite after so many years, and decide to go look for Patricia. Theirjourney takes them across the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, makingThe Questa suitable series name. Initially, the show was announced through a TV movie which served as the pilot episode. With its popularity, the showrunners had high hopes, but after fifteen episodes,The Questwas chopped. This series is worth revisiting for its adventurous spirit and brilliant performances.
2’Legend' (1995)
Created by Bill Dial and Michael Piller
Bill Dial and Michael Pillerwere knownStar Trekwriters and contributors during the 1990s. Their seriesLegend, a blend of science fiction and Western, was greenlit by UPN, a network which, according to many of the show’s fans, didn’t know what it had until it was lost. Dial and Piller had a great idea going for them here,but UPN had a sudden change in management and all their shows were inevitably canceled. Much likeFirefly, there was no justice forLegend, but its heavily entertaining 12 episodes can be rewatched at any time.
Legendfollows the cowardly 19th-century writer Ernest Pratt (Richard Dean Anderson), who writes stories about a fierce hero called Nicodemus Legend. His character is his own polar opposite, and Pratt doesn’t see himself in Legend’s shoes, though he writes his novels in the first person and everyone thinks he is that man. However, when Pratt is faced with some legal troubles around Legend’s character, he takes over his persona andbecomes the fierce adventurer bent on clearing Nicodemus Legend’s name. The show is funny and fun, but also heavily underrated; it was an obvious labor of love for Dial and Piller, which was recognized by many of their fans.
Watch on Apple TV
1’Damnation' (2018)
Created by Tony Tost
Damnationwas a Netflix show and a massive hit in 2018 when it came out, starringLogan Marshall-GreenandKillian Scott. However, after just one ten-episode season, the serieswas abruptly canceled in 2018, and removed from Netflix entirely in 2023. This could be the beginning of the cursedNetflix cancelations after one season,which have been increasing in numbers lately.Damnationis one of the best Western series out there, and it’s a pity it didn’t live longer, so its showrunners could develop and flesh out the characters even more.
The series isn’t set in the 19th century, but rather,it follows the events of thelabor wars during the Great Depression (in 1931). The main character is a criminal posing as a priest, Seth Davenport (Scott), who rallies people against the industrialists. Opposing him is a detective and ex-con, Creeley Turner (Marshall-Green), whose main mission is to prevent Davenport’s lobbying. The townfolk are unaware that Seth and Creeley are estranged brothers; this inserts a more personal and twisted storyline into the already tense series.Damnationmay have only ten episodes, but they’re some of the most rewatchable Western content that combines thriller and drama.
