Both classic and neo-Westerns have had a significant impact on the genre, but in different ways. Some of the best Western TV shows of all time have affected more recent shows like Breaking Bad in terms of style and theme. On the other hand, neo-Westerns tend to combine classic themes like law and order with new and exciting characters.

Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001)

Chuck Norris’s larger-than-life personality and presence have had such an impact on television that he is still the subject of memes today. That said, giving him legendary status has sometimes overshadowed the impact that Walker, Texas Ranger had on the Western genre. The show introduced martial arts elements to a setting that was usually dominated by bar brawls and gunfights.

Walker, Texas Ranger is uniquely ’90s, and arguably one of the first neo-Westerns, with Chuck Norris’ Cordell Walker being a modern lawman in a pickup truck rather than on horseback. While some older Westerns have been outshone by newer shows, part of the charm of Walker, Texas Ranger is its sense of fun and cheesy nostalgia, which cannot be replicated.

The Wild Wild West (1965-1969)

While ’90s kids will likely associate the title, Wild Wild West, with the Will Smith movie, the series is an old-school Western TV show that mostly still holds up today. Released in the 1960s, The Wild Wild West changed the game by blending classic Western elements with sci-fi, creating a steampunk aesthetic.

Smith’s movie was a loose and poorly rated adaptation of the TV show, which has a 100% positive audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Wild Wild West might have influenced the movie, but it had a far greater impact on Western television. Without this exciting genre mix, we would likely not have shows like Westworld or Wynonna Earp.

Yellowstone (2018-2024)

Taylor Sheridan’s Western projects are generally extremely highly rated, and Yellowstone is a must-watch for Western fans, as it reinvents the genre in the modern age without sacrificing the typical themes. The show stars Kevin Costner in one of his best roles. Many of Yellowstone‘s best episodes are masterpieces, and it has even been compared to The Godfather if it were set on a ranch.

Godless (2017)

Westerns have traditionally been male-dominated, with few roles for women besides love interests. However, modern and neo-Westerns have now cast women as some of the best characters in the Western genre. Godless has plenty of fantastic female characters, as it is set in a fictional town mostly populated by women, after the men of the town were killed in a mining accident.

This new and interesting approach produced a great TV show with a terrifying villain, some great horse-riding stunts, and an ending that wraps up the story without leaving the show on a cliffhanger. Godless has an 85% positive audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is a must-watch for both its character writing and its new take on classic Western themes.

Dark Winds (2022-Present)

Dark Winds is a three-season crime thriller Western TV series, and it was created by a largely Native American team. The series follows Navajo tribal police officers as they attempt to uphold the law in the 1970s while opposed by a terrifying villain. The show has a 100% positive critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and introduces exciting new ideas to the genre.

Dark Winds blends its gritty crime noir aesthetic with the rugged desert atmosphere seen in most classic Westerns. The show follows a police procedural format, but includes major storylines centered on Navajo spiritual practices and beliefs, which form a significant part of the plot. It is one of the best neo-Westerns currently streaming, taking the genre in a new direction.

Justified (2010-2015)

Of all the most iconic Western TV shows of all time, The Lone Ranger is arguably the best known. That said, it’s somewhat problematic by modern sensibilities, and Timothy Olyphant’s Justified resembles a fresher version of the classic, changing the parts that have aged poorly. While Deadwood put Olyphant on the Western map, Justified cemented his status as a great Western TV actor.

Deadwood (2004-2006)

Deadwood abandoned the clear-cut morality of past Westerns, giving us a town full of complex antiheroes and justice that is not always given freely. Unlike many Westerns, which often romanticize their subject matter, Deadwood is gritty, violent, and raw, featuring one of the best action scenes in a TV Western. Rather than law and order, the show focuses on crime and corruption.

Many Westerns appear to take place in an alternative historical timeline, even when they are based on real events, as Deadwood is. However, Deadwood’s use of real-life characters holds up a mirror to the dangers of both the frontier and of today, with a gold-obsessed villain who thinks nothing of destroying the achievements of greater men.

Gunsmoke (1952-1975)

Before The Simpsons took the top spot, Gunsmoke was the longest-running TV show of all time. The classic Western was a character-driven drama and a game-changer for the genre, which had previously been aimed at a younger audience. The show’s main characters were less flashy than other Western lawmakers, and many of the plotlines centered on moral dilemmas rather than typical “bad guys.”

Gunsmoke has over 600 episodes and ran for 20 seasons. This was not only an unprecedented length of time for any TV show, but it has also led to the series being described as “the greatest Western TV show of all time.” This is not surprising, as Gunsmoke has influenced virtually every Western TV show that has been made since.