10 Best TV Shows That Feel Like Westerns

The Western is perhaps the quintessential genre in American fiction. It dominated the box office and small-screen for decades, though it has waned somewhat in recent years. Nevertheless, movies and TV shows continue to borrow story elements and visual techniques from this timeless genre. Tales of outlaws and lawmen fighting for dominance are everywhere, from horror and drama to sci-fi and comedy.

Watching Westerns is all well and good, but sometimes a viewer wants something a little different. Fortunately, a number of TV shows out there embrace the Western spirit or some of its stylistic trappings without quite being full-on Westerns. These shows relocate and adapt Western plots and characters to fresh settings or combine them with other genres, producing singular episodes that feel like they could happen in the Old American West, even if they’re set miles away.

10 ‘Deputy’ (2020)

Starring: Stephen Dorff, Yara Martinez, Brian Van Holt, Bex Taylor-Klaus

“You’re the hero no one saw coming. Except me.” Stephen Dorff leads this Fox series as Deputy Bill Hollister, a fifth-generation lawman with a cowboy ethos and a no-nonsense approach to justice. When the sheriff unexpectedly dies, Bill finds himself thrust into the job, tasked with leading a department in turmoil while navigating the complex political landscape of L.A. County.

Like a gunslinger from a classic Western, Bill is uncomfortable with bureaucracy and frequently takes matters into his own hands. He bends the rules, but only to protect the citizens he serves. For example, Bill frequently flouts protocol by heading to the front lines, taking part in raids, and putting himself in the thick of danger. He even leads his comrades on several horseback assaults. Dorff is solid in the role, helping to keep all the drama and action grounded. Deputy may not break any new ground, but it’s a decent police procedural that should appeal to fans of the genre.

Buy on Amazon

9 ‘Outer Range’ (2022-Present)

Starring: Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots, Lili Taylor, Tom Pelphrey

“We’re born to hunt, and one frontier begets another.” This sci-fi centers on the Abbott family, who run a struggling ranch nestled in the Wyoming mountains. After the arrival of a drifter called Autumn (Imogen Poots), patriarch Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) discovers a black void in one of his fields. He tries to understand its mysteries while a rival family attempts to take control of his land. Murder and time-warping shenanigans soon follow.

Outer Range is a moody thriller, drawing from a wide range of inspirations and making them meld together surprisingly well. It’s a mix of Lost and Yellowstone, with a dash of The X-Files and a hint of The Twilight Zone. The family drama aspects are handled especially well, and Brolin is terrific in his part. The end product is an intricate and weird Western for the modern day, with a twisty plot and some mind-bending concepts from speculative science.

8 ‘Vegas’ (2012)

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis, Carrie-Anne Moss, Sarah Jones

“Next time you come after my family, it won’t be settled in a sheriff’s station.” Vegas is a 1960s period show created by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote Goodfellas and Casino. Inspired by true events, it stars Dennis Quiad as Sheriff Ralph Lamb, a rugged rancher turned lawman sent to Sin City to maintain order. Police and criminals clash on the neon-lit streets as the Chicago mob attempts to spread its influence.

Vegas is a quintessential Western story (it even begins with the discovery of a body in the desert), but transplanted to the unusual setting of Swinging Sixties Las Vegas. James Mangold, director of 3:10 to Yuma and Logan, executive produced it and directed the pilot, and his visual influence is clear to see. Vegas had potential but was unfortunately canceled after one season, depriving audiences of what could have been a riveting neo-Western.

7 ‘Longmire’ (2012-2017)

Starring: Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bailey Chase

“If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.” Based on the novels by Craig Johnson, this crime drama centers on Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor), a stoic officer who grapples with personal tragedy while upholding the law in a county rife with crime and corruption. Assisted by his deputies, including the resourceful Victoria “Vic” Moretti (Katee Sackhoff) and the steadfast “Ferg” (Adam Bartley), he navigates a myriad of cases ranging from murder and kidnapping to drug trafficking and tribal disputes.

One of Longmire‘s strengths is its picturesque setting in Absaroka County, Wyoming, including mountains, plains, and endless sky. Each season tends to have a central case, with subplots and digressions that intertwine with it. Longmire‘s stories are confidently told, and the mysteries are engaging, even if the series never quite reaches the point of being truly great. A highlight is the way the show slowly reveals the truth about what happened to Walt’s wife years earlier.

6 ‘Preacher’ (2016-2019)

Starring: Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun, Ruth Negga, Lucy Griffiths

“I am NEVER going to be your Messiah.” Preacher is AMC’s adaptation of the cult comic, starring Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer,​​​​​​ a disillusioned small-town preacher imbued with a mysterious power born from the unholy union of an angel and a demon. With the ability to command anyone to do his bidding, Jesse sets out on a quest to find God, who has abandoned heaven. He intends to hold the Creator accountable for the state of the world.

Preacher is rapidly paced and bursting with violence, demonstrating executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg‘s commitment to the source material. It’s a gleefully demented story involving vampires, outlaws, long-dead historical figures, and the literal Devil. Custer’s journey across the American heartland plays out like an acid Western crossed with the Book of Revelation but shot through with maniacal humor. Cooper does a commendable job of inhabiting such a profane and over-the-top character.

5 ‘Better Call Saul’ (2015-2022)

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Michael McKean

“Slippin’ Jimmy with a law degree is like a chimp with a machine gun.” Breaking Bad is very much a classic Western set in the present, but Better Call Saul is more revisionist, playing with chronology and focusing on a trickster character. The tale of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), his fall from grace and chance for redemption, draws from comedies and courtroom dramas but still has that Western feeling of frontier justice and the tensions between criminality and the law.

Likewise, the show looks at the battle of maintaining order amidst chaos and the collision of ordinary lives with the criminal underworld. Saul himself is a kind of outlaw, using words rather than guns to slip around the dictates of the law and get his slimy clients off the hook. Not to mention, the authorities, represented by figures like Howard (Patrick Fabian) and Chuck (Michael McKean), can be just as twisted as the criminals.

4 ‘Justified’ (2010-2015)

Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Jacob Pitts, Walton Goggins

“I shot people I like more for less.” Justified is a cop show based on stories by Elmore Leonard. Timothy Olyphant plays Raylan Givens, a U.S. Marshal with a penchant for old-fashioned justice. Reassigned to his hometown of Harlan County, Raylan must confront ghosts from his past, including his estranged father (Raymond J. Barry) and childhood friend turned criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), as well as the town’s more violent elements.

Justified is all about tense shootouts, damaged characters, and sharp dialogue. In fact, it might be the best translation of Leonard’s famously punchy dialogue since Get Shorty and Jackie Brown. The highlight is Goggins as Boyd, a man who has seen deep darkness and still has his sights set on power, making the character intense but still believable. Olyphant and Goggins are classic Western figures in Justified, and their roles earned them considerable praise, including Emmy and Critics’ Choice nominations.

3 ‘Reacher’ (2022-Present)

Starring: Alan Ritchson, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald, Bruce McGill

“I’ll end your life with one call.” Reacher sees Alan Ritchson stepping into the role of Lee Child‘s legendary former military police officer, now self-described hobo. His bulk, formidable combat skills, and unwavering sense of right and wrong make him a force to be reckoned with. When a shocking crime rocks the small town of Margrave, Georgia, Reacher investigates, only to find himself drawn into a web of conspiracy and corruption.

As one would expect, Reacher sticks close to the formulas that made the books so successful. This approach means that it’s seldom surprising but almost always fun, whether Reacher is being framed for a murder he didn’t commit or reassembling his old team for one last mission. Audiences seem to be responding, and ratings have been high. Fans certainly don’t need to worry about the showrunners running out of material any time soon: there are 29 Reacher novels and counting.

2 ‘The Mandalorian’ (2019-Present)

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Katee Sackhoff, Giancarlo Esposito

“Let me have a warrior’s death.” Not all of the recent Star Wars projects succeed, but there’s no denying the fun and potency of The Mandalorian. With Jon Favreau at the wheel and Pedro Pascal behind the mask, this story about an enigmatic bounty hunter hit the ground running, quickly becoming one of the most streamed TV shows ever.

In typical Western fashion, the Mandalorian’s solitary existence is upended when he’s tasked with retrieving a valuable asset. He’s gruff and detached, but his mission forces him to tap into long-buried emotions. The stylistic trappings of Westerns are there, too. The job takes Mando across deserts and into saloons, where he takes part in gunfights with all manner of varmints and cretins. The Mandalorian strikes a fine balance between impressive effects, hard-hitting action, deep dives into the lore, Baby Yoda’s cuteness, and well-timed humor. It’s jam-packed with beloved throwbacks as well as original fan favorites, making it a new classic in the storied franchise.

1 ‘Breaking Bad’ (2008-2013)

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris

“Stay out of my territory.” Breaking Bad is a Western to the core. The action unfolds in the deserts near the Mexico border, where cops and robbers battle it out in a world dominated by power, not morality. Moreover, Walt’s (Bryan Cranston) transformation from chemistry teacher to drug kingpin mirrors the corruption of many a Western hero turned villain.

Vince Gilligan consciously looked to Westerns for inspiration when making the show. He pays homage to the work of John Ford and Sergio Leone, in particular. “If you want to know where I’m coming from and where my sensibilities lie, you should watch The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” Gilligan said. Fortunately, he had actors talented enough to rise to the task of his ambition. The result is a modern masterpiece that continues to exert a massive influence on TV. Its DNA also lives in countless neo-Westerns, including Sicario and Hell or High Water.

NEXT: The 10 Worst Hitchcockian Thrillers, Ranked