The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer on Prime Video, is one of the best western dramas of the last few years. While western TV series and movies have always been very popular, The English is an outstanding new take on this traditional genre. The powerful performances of the cast, the cinematography and the strength of the script by Hugo Blick take the western genre to a whole new level.
If you still haven’t recovered from the heartbreaking final episode of The English and are looking for another dark, epic western drama to keep you from thinking too much about Lady Cornelia Locke and Sgt. Eli Whipp, this list of eight western TV series might just be what you are looking for.
Godless
Godless is one of the most impressive western dramas of this list. This seven-episode miniseries is available on Netflix and is set in the town of La Belle, mostly led by women after the majority of men died in a mine accident. One day, a wounded young man named Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell) finds refuge in Alice Fletcher’s (Michelle Dockery) barn. Alice is a widow and an outcast who lives just outside La Belle. Roy Goode is the former protégée of criminal and murderer Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) who now is on the hunt for the young man.
The incredible performances and the female-driven cast ensemble of La Belle add to the strength of Godless. Jack O’Connell and Michelle Dockery are one of the best TV team-ups of the last few years. On top of it, music composer Carlos Rafael Rivera delivers an epic, heartbreaking score for this incredible journey through the Wild West.
That Dirty Black Bag
If there’s one thing AMC likes to do, it’s Western dramas, and That Dirty Black Bag is one of them. This eight-episode season takes place over eight days and tells the story of the meeting and clash between a tormented sheriff, McCoy (Dominic Cooper), and a bounty hunter known for decapitating his victims, Red Bill (Douglas Booth). This incredible cast ensemble also includes Travis Fimmel and Aidan Gilles.
If you’re looking for a somber and gruesome western, That Dirty Black Bag might just be it for you.
Hell on Wheels
AMC made five seasons of Hell on Wheels, a Western series set after the Civil War. Former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon, portrayed by Anson Mount, is still traumatized by the death of his wife, killed by Union soldiers, and haunted by the memories of the war. His thirst for revenge brings him on a journey that will lead to the construction of the first transcontinental railroad.
The show aired between 2011 and 2016, and is still considered one of the most underrated Western shows ever made by the fans of the series.
Yellowstone: 1883
Yellowstone: 1883 belongs to the “Yellowstone Universe,” even though you don’t necessarily have to have watched Yellowstone to discover this 10-episode series.
Yellowstone’s creator Taylor Sheridan goes back to the more traditional, classic codes of the Western genre with this story. Starring Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and with incredible guests stars such as Tom Hanks and Billy Bob Thornton, 1883 shows the perilous journey of the Dutton family as they travel west in search of a better future.
If you haven’t watched 1883 yet, you can stream it on Paramount + in preparation for upcoming new series, 1923 (starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, no less!)
Frontier
Jason Momoa is Declan Harp, a half-Irish, half-Cree Native Canadian outlaw in Frontier, a somber Western set in the Hudson Bay in the 1700s. Harp is seeking revenge against the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Frontier shows Canadian history through the fur trade and invasion of First Nations territories. While the first episode might seem a little all over the place, with many characters, landscapes and storylines introduced in one episode, Momoa’s raw, powerful performance throughout the series, will probably keep you watching until the very end.
Co-produced by Discovery Canada, you can watch all 18 episodes of Seasons 1-3 of Frontier on Netflix.
The Good Lord Bird
A Western drama starring Ethan Hawke and his genius ability to portray eccentric, charismatic, moody characters? That’s exactly what The Good Lord Bird did. Based on the 2013 novel by James McBride, The Good Lord Bird stars Ethan Hawke as abolitionist John Brown. The story is narrated by a character who doesn’t appear in any historical record called “Onion,” an enslaved young boy who quickly becomes part of Brown’s family.
Ethan Hawke once again delivers an exhilarating performance as John Brown in The Good Lord Bird and Joshua Caleb Johnson is a true revelation in the role of Onion.
Deadwood
“It’s a hell of a place to make your fortune.” Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane are at the heart of Deadwood, a series set in the 1870s in a town called Deadwood, a corrupted and dangerous place in South Dakota. Deadwood isn’t part of any U.S state and is under no jurisdiction and law, which makes it the perfect hiding place for criminals, gold diggers or people seeking revenge.
Deadwood has a total of three seasons, 36 episodes, and eight Emmy victories, and is still considered one of the most gritty, historically accurate and most well-made Western series ever made.
The Son
Pierce Brosnan stars as Eli McCullough in The Son, a story about the rise and fall of a Texas oil empire. Once again, AMC brings a western drama to our screens with this two-season TV series. Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Philipp Meyer, The Son follows the multigenerational story and life of the McCullough family through flashbacks, from Eli’s childhood and memories of the Comanche Attack through the building of his empire during the 20th century.
The Son was canceled shortly after Season 2 started airing in 2019.
