Unfortunately, with "Firefly" Fox showed the pilot episode last. I saw the pilot and tried to find the series which was already canceled. I bought the DVD set later of a great series.
Roy Goode and Cullen Bohannon unite! I preferred Godless and Hell on Wheels to Deadwood, which was good but a bit too slow and almost Shakespearean for me.
Hell On Wheels is the Epitome of what a great western TV show should be. Once you start watching it you can't hardly stop. Same with 1883 and the modern day Yellowstone. Great stuff !
Honourable shoutout to Lonesome Dove (8.7) which would have placed fourth, but given that it was more of a miniseries/TV movie it didn't quite meet the criteria to feature in this video. Well worth a watch though!
The title is misleading...it should something say something like this "The Top 10 Westerns made after 1990" as you fail to mention shows from the 50s and 60s which are far better than some of the ones you mention here e.g."The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp"; "Maverick"; "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza".
It’s his opinion. If he thinks there weren’t any decades ago, then that is probably why they aren’t on there. Title isn’t misleading, you just don’t agree with an opinion.
Deadwood is not only the greatest western tv show it’s also arguably the greatest western across all mediums (tv, film, theater, book etc) as well as a worthy contender for greatest tv show of all time. As an artistic endeavor it’s simply peerless thanks in no small part to its genius (and I do mean that literally) creator David Milch.
Deadwood is simply put, the greatest piece of work ever put on Television. Al is the most complex character ever created. David Milch created a masterpiece.
Deadwood is one of the best series of any kind. 1883 was great! Lonesome Dove deserves some love. Gunsmoke had great morality plays, and character studies. There is reason for it lasting for decades.
Great video and top 10. Except for nr. 1, personally, I agree with everything. If I had to choose a space western, I'd go easily with Cowboy Bebop over Firefly (which is heavily influenced by CB). See you space cowboy...
Dead Man's Gun is a great anthology series from the 1990s I love. The best part is you can find a lot of the episodes on YT (or you could a year ago, I'm not sure about now). Hell On Wheels is one of my favorites. Anson Mount and the entire cast played their roles to perfection in my opinion. I wasn't too keen on the finale but I still enjoyed it. Longmire is also a favorite.
Deadwood and Justified are interchangeable at the top for me. I don’t think using IMDb scores is the best way to gage what is truly great. I really like Sheridan’s movies but those TV series are laughably overrated. Gunsmoke not being on a list of greatest western tv shows is absurd. 20 years on the air.
Yeah IMDb obviously don't recognise or have forgotten about Bonanza and whispering Smith which had legendary actors like Clint Eastwood and Audie Murphy in them and they could of put Damnation in there also
“Lonesome Dove” was second only to “Deadwood,” and if I were to rewatch it again, I might say it surpasses “Deadwood,” yet you didn’t mention it. “The Rifleman” was a great series, presenting a compact morality tale in under a half hour every week and showing the loving bond between a father and a son and the lessons the son learns on his way to manhood, including those involving his father’s human frailties. A western doesn’t have to be “dark” or “gritty” to be great. Both of those shows rank in the top five, “Lonesome Dove” at one or two and “The Rifleman” at around five or maybe six. It was certainly better than “Hell on Wheels,” which was a very good show.
Lonesome Dove is considered a mini-series so it wouldn't fit on a list with long running tv shows. But I agree, Lonesome Dove is amazing. If Just Westerns makes a Top 5 or Top 10 Western Mini Series, it would be top 1 or 2.
Deadwood is a mile ahead of everything else ever made.... EVER! Godless and Justified are also amazing and deserve much much much higher rankings then you gave them.
You say, " the best westerns ever made." you should have said recent westerns. You never said Gunsmoke, have gun will travel, bonanza, wagon train, rawhide, ect ect ect. I could easily give you dozens more. These were the ones that stayed on tv for a long time. Or at least talked about for 20 or 30 years.
Firefly is simply one of the greatest tv shows ever made for me. It's one of those moments when all the stars align, and we're given a spectacle of beauty to see.
Lonesome Dove and The English definitely deserve some consideration here. Especially Lonesome Dove, probably my number one TV Western of all time…..with Godless a close second.
Damn, I did not expect Brisco to have a higher imdb rating than How the West was Won. Anyways, Deadwood is the clear winner for me with honerable(and nostalgic) mentions to (Guns of)Paradise and Lonesome Dove the Outlaw Years since I watched those two as a kid!
"Best TV westerns Ever made" ?? Perhaps if you are under 30 years old. You might look at "Bonanza", "Rawhide", "The Lone Ranger", "Rin Tin Tin" and many others.
Great list of the contemporary Western TV shows. However, for its time period of the late fifties to early sixties "Have Gun will travel" starring Richard Boone was the best Western Tv Show of all time. It had all the trappings of a Western plus it showcased a great deal of social issues such as bigotry, inequality, and the horrible treatment of immigrants and women. Paladin's character played magnificently by Richard Boone was sophisticated, debonaire, a ladies' man, and at the same time tough as nails with a quick draw of his weapon. He was a gentleman administrator of justice, but he had a price.
Id also have The Big Country, The Searchers and The original True Grit hovering around that top 10. Too many to narrow down the more you think about it
The title is definitely misleading and honestly given the quality of your selections you should have made a separate video for the Top Ten Neo Western TV Shows, because it’s frankly impossible to compare some Classic TV Westerns to many in this selection.
I find Yellowstone average at best, its too much like Sons of Anarchy, Firefly was good, a bit like some episodes of the Mandalorian, i didn't have the patience for Longmire , gave up after half a dozen eps
while all these shows are great you cant just dismiss the classic shows of the past which more than match everyone on your list for pure enterainment Rawhide , Cheyenne , Have Gun will Travel , High Chapparal , Wanted Dead or Alive to name just a few then you have the western mini-series like Lonsome Dove or The Sacketts again pure tv gold .....
I think that Damnation and Bonanza should be in there aswell and and there even could of had whispering Smith in there that had the legendary Audie Murphy init and Clint Eastwood started his career in Bonanza and I class westerns most of the time as being before the 1900s even though I've mentioned damnation which was after the horse and cart days even another mention could go to the big valley
Its pretty obvious that your experience in TV series are from 2000 beyond like a lotta people now. But implore you to watch Lonesome Dove. As good as these are, This miniseries is the best western ever made period, It was supposed to be a John Wayne vehicle but he didn't want to do it. Just watch it and if you don't agree then i repect your opinion. Would won at least best picture at the oscars at the time. Would be hard to make now for the cringy racism which adds a lot to the realism of public opionion during the time of the show.
Your number 1, 2 and 3 belong to the end of the list. Deadwood and Justified share number one. And goodless with the great Michelle Dockery and Merritt Wever is a Masterpiece. !883 turns bad very quickly in the second half and Yellowstone is totally overrated.
This video should have been titled "The Greatest Modern Western Type TV Shows." These may all be good shows, but half of them are not really westerns, and none of them are from the classic era. They are all modern, the oldest being Brisco County Jr.
You just can’t name Firefly the best western show of all time, you just can’t. 1 season? Over shows that are not only better but have had a bigger impact on the genre as a whole? Rare L from you man.
How is it possible that of all the westerns from The Lone Ranger until now none make your list except the weird shows of recent years. I watched a few episodes of Westworld and Hell on Wheels and found them boring, way too talky, and generally annoying. I watched all but the last episode of 1883 and have never watched the last episode and never will because I am offended that they hook you in too the main character and then kill her off. She could have gotten pregnant by her Native American Husband and decided to stay close to his people instead of going on to Oregon. That would have achieved the purpose of explaining the settling in Wyoming and allowed a happy ending, complete with a strong female lead going forward.
I guess my anger should be directed at the IMDB lamebrains for this laughable list. Between 1949 and the late 1960s there were over 100 Western TV shows on the air, and none of them were included here. At the very least, I'd put the writers of those shows up against any of the writers of these shows on IMDB's list. That generation knew how to write simple compelling stories without relying on meta-gimmicks. Not saying there weren't stinkers, but to not include any of them here is showing their ignorant hand. Have Gun Will Travel, Wanted Dead or Alive, Gunsmoke, Tate, Tales of Wells Fargo, Death Valley Days, Zane Grey Theatre, Trackdown, Maverick, Rawhide, etc.
It seems I am the only person in the world who thinks Firefly kind of sucks. I actually loved it the first time I watched it, but the more I watched, the more I realized it was kind of poorly done. I'm very disappointed that no classics made the list, like Rawhide, Wanted Dead or Alive, Bonanza, The Lone Ranger, or even Gunsmoke.
If Lonesome Dove isn't top 3 on this list the whole thing is invalid.
That mini series is arguably the greatest Western anything of all time.
Lonesome Dove, Broken Trail, Laramie, Maverick, Return to Lonesome Dove, Rawhide, Bronco, Cheyenne, Wagon Train, The Virginian
When Firefly was cancelled---I literally cried ---thoughtful, intelligent television--with the chemistry of a Nobel prize winner.
Unfortunately, with "Firefly" Fox showed the pilot episode last. I saw the pilot and tried to find the series which was already canceled. I bought the DVD set later of a great series.
If I would have known that sooner, I would have married you. :)
Great show. NOT a western. I don't care what anyone says. It is a SF show. Period. End of discussion.
Lonesome Dove is no:1 for me.
Deadwood
That Dirty Black Bag
And Godless are all top 5 for me.
Omg he didn’t even mention Lonesome Dove 😂
Bonanza, Damnation, Whispering Smith
Godless is on another level, a masterpiece!
Roy Goode and Cullen Bohannon unite! I preferred Godless and Hell on Wheels to Deadwood, which was good but a bit too slow and almost Shakespearean for me.
Hell On Wheels is the Epitome of what a great western TV show should be. Once you start watching it you can't hardly stop. Same with 1883 and the modern day Yellowstone. Great stuff !
Agreed
To me Deadwood is the greatest TV western ever and as you said, it raised the bar for everything to follow.
Honourable shoutout to Lonesome Dove (8.7) which would have placed fourth, but given that it was more of a miniseries/TV movie it didn't quite meet the criteria to feature in this video. Well worth a watch though!
Fourth?? First, please!
Lonesome Dove is the best western ever made.
How is Have gun will travel and Gun smoke not on this list?
And Bonanza and whispering Smith 👍
The Range Rider. The Cisco Kid. Hawkeye. The Lone Ranger. Wagon Train. Rawhide.
The title is misleading...it should something say something like this "The Top 10 Westerns made after 1990" as you fail to mention shows from the 50s and 60s which are far better than some of the ones you mention here e.g."The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp"; "Maverick"; "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza".
I'm genuinely asking but aren't the first two movies. Also would Hatfields vs McCoys count?
The fact that Have gun will travel isn’t even mentioned is a crime
High Chapparal
It’s his opinion. If he thinks there weren’t any decades ago, then that is probably why they aren’t on there. Title isn’t misleading, you just don’t agree with an opinion.
He said based on IMDb scores
Gunsmoke
Love Gunsmoke
Deadwood is not only the greatest western tv show it’s also arguably the greatest western across all mediums (tv, film, theater, book etc) as well as a worthy contender for greatest tv show of all time. As an artistic endeavor it’s simply peerless thanks in no small part to its genius (and I do mean that literally) creator David Milch.
RDR2 is so good though youve got to give it some credit
Absolutely perfect comment.
Deadwood is the standard against which any other piece of entertainment should be measured, only to inevitably fall short.
Deadwood is simply put, the greatest piece of work ever put on Television. Al is the most complex character ever created. David Milch created a masterpiece.
Have Gun will Travel. Paladin super cool.
Deadwood is one of the best series of any kind.
1883 was great!
Lonesome Dove deserves some love.
Gunsmoke had great morality plays, and character studies. There is reason for it lasting for decades.
Really glad you cited Firefly. That shows you gave thoughtful consideration at to What a Western is
Not a Western.
You're not a western@@trhansen3244
Hell on Wheels was phenomenal. Thought the 5th season kind of wasn’t the best, but by no means was it bad.
All of these Westerns are so modern. The TV Western has a rich history going back to the 50s.
The virginian 1962
Great video and top 10.
Except for nr. 1, personally, I agree with everything.
If I had to choose a space western, I'd go easily with Cowboy Bebop over Firefly (which is heavily influenced by CB).
See you space cowboy...
Swap Deadwood with your #1 show. Whatever that was, and I'm sure you got a solid list. Just my opinion
Deadwood should have been #1.
Personally I would like to see some older ones on the list. High Chaparral, Rifleman, Gunsmoke, Rawhide and so many others to watch.
I started my love or Westerns on radio "THE LONE RANGER" AROUND 1950
Dead Man's Gun is a great anthology series from the 1990s I love. The best part is you can find a lot of the episodes on YT (or you could a year ago, I'm not sure about now).
Hell On Wheels is one of my favorites. Anson Mount and the entire cast played their roles to perfection in my opinion. I wasn't too keen on the finale but I still enjoyed it. Longmire is also a favorite.
I absolutely adore Hell on Wheels. It's my favourite tv show ever
#1 Hands Down LONESOME DOVE
High Chaparral, Maverick, Gunsmoke and Rawhide were all classics worthy of consideration
Laramie
Deadwood and Justified are interchangeable at the top for me. I don’t think using IMDb scores is the best way to gage what is truly great. I really like Sheridan’s movies but those TV series are laughably overrated. Gunsmoke not being on a list of greatest western tv shows is absurd. 20 years on the air.
Yeah IMDb obviously don't recognise or have forgotten about Bonanza and whispering Smith which had legendary actors like Clint Eastwood and Audie Murphy in them and they could of put Damnation in there also
Are you out a your mind? The ten greatest TV western ever made were all made in the 1950's and 1960's.
He said based on IMDb scores
“Lonesome Dove” was second only to “Deadwood,” and if I were to rewatch it again, I might say it surpasses “Deadwood,” yet you didn’t mention it. “The Rifleman” was a great series, presenting a compact morality tale in under a half hour every week and showing the loving bond between a father and a son and the lessons the son learns on his way to manhood, including those involving his father’s human frailties. A western doesn’t have to be “dark” or “gritty” to be great. Both of those shows rank in the top five, “Lonesome Dove” at one or two and “The Rifleman” at around five or maybe six. It was certainly better than “Hell on Wheels,” which was a very good show.
Lonesome Dove is considered a mini-series so it wouldn't fit on a list with long running tv shows. But I agree, Lonesome Dove is amazing. If Just Westerns makes a Top 5 or Top 10 Western Mini Series, it would be top 1 or 2.
This is a top IMDb list
Blackwater , Godless and Hell of Wheels
I quite liked The Son. But this list is valid too.
Deadwood and Justified are the best tv shows I have ever seen and,being 70 yrs old,I've seen em all. lol
Deadwood is a mile ahead of everything else ever made.... EVER! Godless and Justified are also amazing and deserve much much much higher rankings then you gave them.
Really a great list
You should as people said, after 1990..lots of Classic Westerns you missed..lots..
This is an IMDb list!
You say, " the best westerns ever made." you should have said recent westerns. You never said Gunsmoke, have gun will travel, bonanza, wagon train, rawhide, ect ect ect. I could easily give you dozens more. These were the ones that stayed on tv for a long time. Or at least talked about for 20 or 30 years.
Firefly is simply one of the greatest tv shows ever made for me.
It's one of those moments when all the stars align, and we're given a spectacle of beauty to see.
With a few exceptions, this list should be titled best “neo-Westerns” of the lat 30 years.
Here's my rule" If they travel in trucks instead of on horses, it's not a western.
I absolutely agree
In Firefly, a spaceship takes them to various planets where the main mode of transportation is by horse.
I’m the only guy that likes Bonanza lol😅
Na I've mentioned it and whispering Smith aswell 👍
This was solid list that covered all the bases and all my favourites. Great job!
You realize he got it off of IMDB top 10 western tv list?
I’m assuming they meant the Greatest Western TV shows after 1991.
Two of these shows lasted 1 season.
Don’t you think Breaking Bad is a western show. It has a lot of the cinematography and plot that fits a modern day western.
Lonesome Dove and The English definitely deserve some consideration here. Especially Lonesome Dove, probably my number one TV Western of all time…..with Godless a close second.
Damn, I did not expect Brisco to have a higher imdb rating than How the West was Won. Anyways, Deadwood is the clear winner for me with honerable(and nostalgic) mentions to (Guns of)Paradise and Lonesome Dove the Outlaw Years since I watched those two as a kid!
Love westerns but i have seen only one of these shows.
All sound great, i dont know where to start.
"Best TV westerns Ever made" ?? Perhaps if you are under 30 years old.
You might look at "Bonanza", "Rawhide", "The Lone Ranger", "Rin Tin Tin" and many others.
Also "Gunsmoke", "Death Valley days" and "Maverick".
Great list of the contemporary Western TV shows. However, for its time period of the late fifties to early sixties "Have Gun will travel" starring Richard Boone was the best Western Tv Show of all time. It had all the trappings of a Western plus it showcased a great deal of social issues such as bigotry, inequality, and the horrible treatment of immigrants and women. Paladin's character played magnificently by Richard Boone was sophisticated, debonaire, a ladies' man, and at the same time tough as nails with a quick draw of his weapon. He was a gentleman administrator of justice, but he had a price.
Id also have The Big Country, The Searchers and The original True Grit hovering around that top 10. Too many to narrow down the more you think about it
🔥 HELL ON WHEELS 🔥
Godless
Hell On Wheels
Deadwood
1883
Brisco County should be higher. Bruce Campbell is KING.
1883 was awesome!
1883 is no. 1 for me. I've honestly never seen anything on screen that could top that. Absolutely loved it!
Nah deadwood tops it
Firefly, Deadwood, Justified, Hell on Wheels--all tied for #1 IMO. Godless was excellent, as was Longmire.
Texas Rising, Gunslingers, Dead Man's Gun, Into The West, Damnation, Death & Compromise
Bonanza, whispering Smith
So what do you think is the best western TV show of all time?
Gunsmoke.
Deadwood
1883
Hatfields and McCoys
Hell on wheels
Honorable mentions: Outsiders (crime,drama, neo-western 2016), Cowboy bebop (animated 1998)
Gunsmoke
The Sacketts..
The title is definitely misleading and honestly given the quality of your selections you should have made a separate video for the Top Ten Neo Western TV Shows, because it’s frankly impossible to compare some Classic TV Westerns to many in this selection.
If Firefly wasn't #1, I was gonna be mad!
Good job!
I love Firefly but it is NOT a western.
Justified is amazing and deadwood
You should have featured The Wild Wild West,Bonanza & The High Chapparal.
Sorry, those shows are too old to be considered for this list.
I like Firefly and Brisco County, Jr equally well but Brisco has more episodes so I have to say it is my favorite.
Not so keen on 3 and 2. Deadwood is my number one.
I find Yellowstone average at best, its too much like Sons of Anarchy, Firefly was good, a bit like some episodes of the Mandalorian, i didn't have the patience for Longmire , gave up after half a dozen eps
while all these shows are great you cant just dismiss the classic shows of the past which more than match everyone on your list for pure enterainment Rawhide , Cheyenne , Have Gun will Travel , High Chapparal , Wanted Dead or Alive to name just a few then you have the western mini-series like Lonsome Dove or The Sacketts again pure tv gold .....
Billy the Kid Tv Show is pretty good
Thanks for including Godless and Hell on Wheels, as they are masterpieces. Personally, I just wish neo-westerns were not combined with westerns.
What the?
Lonesome Dove doesn’t even get an honorable mention?
The ONLY thing this selection proves. Is just how the Western genre of TV has gone downhill since the "Golden Age" !
Where's The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, or Bonanza? Tales of Wells Fargo was also a classic.
Tales of Wells Fargo, for sure
I think that Damnation and Bonanza should be in there aswell and and there even could of had whispering Smith in there that had the legendary Audie Murphy init and Clint Eastwood started his career in Bonanza and I class westerns most of the time as being before the 1900s even though I've mentioned damnation which was after the horse and cart days even another mention could go to the big valley
Actually Clint Eastwood got started on "Rawhide"...which is another great western that is better than some of the ones mentioned here.
@@JulieS261 yeah I knew it was one of them and I agree they are both great shows even in today's standards they keep you interested in watching them 👍
Hav Brisco Bruce! 😅
Its pretty obvious that your experience in TV series are from 2000 beyond like a lotta people now. But implore you to watch Lonesome Dove. As good as these are, This miniseries is the best western ever made period, It was supposed to be a John Wayne vehicle but he didn't want to do it. Just watch it and if you don't agree then i repect your opinion. Would won at least best picture at the oscars at the time. Would be hard to make now for the cringy racism which adds a lot to the realism of public opionion during the time of the show.
Centennial?
That was a mini-series.
Your number 1, 2 and 3 belong to the end of the list. Deadwood and Justified share number one. And goodless with the great Michelle Dockery and Merritt Wever is a Masterpiece. !883 turns bad very quickly in the second half and Yellowstone is totally overrated.
lonesome dove?
I’m sorry but Lonesome Dove has to be #1. Otherwise a great list
Hell on Wheels
Deadwood
Lonesome Dove
1883
Westworld 1-2
To start with
This video should have been titled "The Greatest Modern Western Type TV Shows." These may all be good shows, but half of them are not really westerns, and none of them are from the classic era. They are all modern, the oldest being Brisco County Jr.
Yellowstone is the simply the best of the best
I’m a big fan of western , I’ve watched all of them! Nothing beats Yellowstone !
You just can’t name Firefly the best western show of all time, you just can’t. 1 season? Over shows that are not only better but have had a bigger impact on the genre as a whole? Rare L from you man.
Just westerns... where the fock is (1949-1957) THE LONE RANGER?!?!?!?!
This is a joke , Rawhide without a doubt.
Agreed!!
1923 is good
1883 is so beautiful ans so much better than Yellowstone
Never heard of any of these shows. The best westerns were in the 60's the best of which was The Big Valley.
Hells on Wheels got really dumb by season 4.
How is it possible that of all the westerns from The Lone Ranger until now none make your list except the weird shows of recent years. I watched a few episodes of Westworld and Hell on Wheels and found them boring, way too talky, and generally annoying. I watched all but the last episode of 1883 and have never watched the last episode and never will because I am offended that they hook you in too the main character and then kill her off. She could have gotten pregnant by her Native American Husband and decided to stay close to his people instead of going on to Oregon. That would have achieved the purpose of explaining the settling in Wyoming and allowed a happy ending, complete with a strong female lead going forward.
High Chapparal?
Nothing in black and white. I Maverick isn't on the list it's meaningless.
I guess my anger should be directed at the IMDB lamebrains for this laughable list. Between 1949 and the late 1960s there were over 100 Western TV shows on the air, and none of them were included here. At the very least, I'd put the writers of those shows up against any of the writers of these shows on IMDB's list. That generation knew how to write simple compelling stories without relying on meta-gimmicks. Not saying there weren't stinkers, but to not include any of them here is showing their ignorant hand. Have Gun Will Travel, Wanted Dead or Alive, Gunsmoke, Tate, Tales of Wells Fargo, Death Valley Days, Zane Grey Theatre, Trackdown, Maverick, Rawhide, etc.
Are you serious???? They are all relatively new,watta joke!!😂
Deadwood should be no1
If you're going to include Firefly then you also have to include The Mandalorian
It seems I am the only person in the world who thinks Firefly kind of sucks. I actually loved it the first time I watched it, but the more I watched, the more I realized it was kind of poorly done.
I'm very disappointed that no classics made the list, like Rawhide, Wanted Dead or Alive, Bonanza, The Lone Ranger, or even Gunsmoke.
Tripe
Really bad list... do not take in consideration any classics from the 60s.