Great TV Westerns
by Taylorfirst1 | created - 19 May 2015 | updated - 01 Mar 2023 | PublicA list of the best Western TV shows. I'll add a little info about the unique weapons used by the stars.
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1. Have Gun - Will Travel (1957–1963)
Approved | 25 min | Western
The adventures of a gentlemanly gunfighter-for-hire.
Stars: Richard Boone, Kam Tong, Hal Needham, Stewart East
Votes: 3,331
Paladin had a standard Colt .45 but he had a custom made holster with the chess piece insignia and he usually had a derringer hidden somewhere.
2. Bonanza (1959–1973)
TV-PG | 49 min | Western
The Wild West adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their Nevada ranch while helping the surrounding community.
Stars: Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts
Votes: 10,995
one of the greatest series' of all time.
3. Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958–1961)
TV-PG | 30 min | Western
A Civil War veteran with a sawed-off rifle as a holstered weapon makes a living as a bounty hunter in the Wild West of the 1870s.
Stars: Steve McQueen, Wright King, Olan Soule, Mort Mills
Votes: 2,777
Josh Randal had his unforgettable sawed off winchester rifle. Ignore the fact that it was completely impractical. Steve McQuees was the coolest.
4. The Rifleman (1958–1963)
TV-PG | 30 min | Family, Western
The adventures of a Wild West rancher, wielding a customized rapid-fire Winchester rifle, and his son.
Stars: Chuck Connors, Johnny Crawford, Paul Fix, Joe Benson
Votes: 5,010
Chuck Connors used a tricked out winchester that would immediately fire when the action was worked allowing him to fire very fast.
5. The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955–1961)
TV-PG | 30 min | Western
Loosely based on historical fact, the series portrays the gunslinging Wyatt Earp and his successful determination for law and order.
Stars: Hugh O'Brian, Jimmy Noel, Ethan Laidlaw, Bill Coontz
Votes: 1,107
Wyatt carried 2 guns and 1 of them was often his extra long barrel buntline special,
6. Bat Masterson (1958–1961)
TV-14 | 30 min | Western
Bat Masterson roams The West and defends the innocent.
Stars: Gene Barry, Allen Jaffe, Allison Hayes, Ken Drake
Votes: 1,222
Bat carried a short barreled colt in a backwards facing holster under his coat. He also had his "lightning cane" which had more functions than Batman's utility belt.
7. Daniel Boone (1964–1970)
TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Western
Frontier hero Daniel Boone conducts surveys and expeditions around Boonesborough, running into both friendly and hostile Indians, before, during, and even after the Revolutionary War.
Stars: Fess Parker, Patricia Blair, Darby Hinton, Dal McKennon
Votes: 2,412
8. Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
TV-PG | 60 min | Western
Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
Stars: James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis
Votes: 8,749
9. Cheyenne (1955–1963)
TV-G | 60 min | Western
After the Civil War, nomadic adventurer Cheyenne Bodie roamed the West looking for fights, bad guys to beat up, and women. His job changed from episode to episode.
Stars: Clint Walker, Clyde Howdy, Chuck Hicks, Lane Chandler
Votes: 2,025
Sometimes Cheyenne carried a remington revolver which was unusual for TV at the time.
10. The Big Valley (1965–1969)
TV-PG | 60 min | Western
The Wild West adventures of the Barkley family in California's San Joaquin Valley.
Stars: Richard Long, Peter Breck, Lee Majors, Linda Evans
Votes: 3,543
11. Lawman (1958–1962)
30 min | Western
This is the story of Marshal Dan Troop of Laramie, Wyoming, and his Deputy Johnny McKay, an orphan Troop took under his wing.
Stars: John Russell, Peter Brown, Peggie Castle, Emile Avery
Votes: 970
12. Johnny Ringo (1959–1960)
30 min | Western
Ex-gunfighter Johnny Ringo is now the sheriff of a small Western town, and attempts to keep the peace with the aid of his girl Laura Thomas and his deputy Cully.
Stars: Don Durant, Mark Goddard, Karen Sharpe, Terence de Marney
Votes: 176
He had a customized 6 shooter with an extra barrel hidden under the main barrel. The extra one held a .410 shotgun shell. How cool is that?
13. Laredo (1965–1967)
TV-PG | 60 min | Western
A group of Texas Rangers keeps getting in and out of trouble, under the command of Captain Parmalee.
Stars: Neville Brand, Peter Brown, William Smith, Philip Carey
Votes: 749
14. The Lone Ranger (1949–1957)
TV-G | 30 min | Western
The adventures of the masked hero and his Native American partner.
Stars: Jay Silverheels, Clayton Moore, John Hart, Bill Ward
Votes: 2,873
15. Rawhide (1959–1965)
TV-PG | 50 min | Western
Gil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive. He is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Paul Brinegar, Steve Raines, Eric Fleming
Votes: 4,611
16. Death Valley Days (1952–1970)
TV-PG | 25 min | Western
Western stories and legends based, and filmed, in and around Death Valley, California. One of the longest-running Western series, originating on radio in the 1930s. The continuing sponsor was "20 Mule Team" Borax, a product formerly mined in Death Valley.
Stars: Stanley Andrews, Robert Taylor, Ronald Reagan, Dale Robertson
Votes: 1,045
17. Wagon Train (1957–1965)
TV-PG | 75 min | Western
Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains.
Stars: Frank McGrath, Terry Wilson, Robert Horton, John McIntire
Votes: 3,751
18. The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956–1958)
30 min | Adventure, Western
The adventures of frontier hero Jim Bowie are brought to life in this popular children's television series.
Stars: Scott Forbes, William Schallert, John Laing, Joyce Vanderveen
Votes: 278
19. The High Chaparral (1967–1971)
PG | 60 min | Western
The Cannon family runs the High Chaparral Ranch in the Arizona Territory in 1870s.
Stars: Leif Erickson, Cameron Mitchell, Henry Darrow, Linda Cristal
Votes: 2,405
20. The Virginian (1962–1971)
TV-PG | 75 min | Western
Personable Western series based in Wyoming from the 1890s onward.
Stars: Doug McClure, James Drury, Lee J. Cobb, Sara Lane
Votes: 3,160
21. Lancer (1968–1970)
60 min | Western
A tyrannical owner of a vast ranch recruits his two estranged and vastly opposite sons to maintain an uneasy alliance as they fight off forces that would destroy the ranch.
Stars: James Stacy, Wayne Maunder, Andrew Duggan, Elizabeth Baur
Votes: 420
22. Cimarron Strip (1967–1968)
TV-PG | 90 min | Western
The western adventures of tough, but fair, Marshal Jim Crown.
Stars: Stuart Whitman, Percy Herbert, Randy Boone, Jill Townsend
Votes: 479
23. Alias Smith and Jones (1971–1973)
TV-PG | 60 min | Western
Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, two of the most wanted outlaws in the history of the West, are popular "with everyone except the railroads and the banks".
Stars: Ben Murphy, Roger Davis, Pete Duel, Walt Davis
Votes: 2,391
24. Branded (1965–1966)
30 min | Western
In the 1880s Jason McCord travels the country trying to prove he's no coward. He needs to do this because the military career of this West point graduate came to an end when he was thrown out of the army after being accused of cowardice.
Stars: Chuck Connors, Chuck Hamilton, William Bryant, John Pickard
Votes: 914
25. The Rebel (1959–1961)
Approved | 30 min | Western
After the end of the Civil War, a former Confederate Army private roams the Wild West, and, as a rogue drifter, gets involved in helping out various settlers threatened by various bad guys.
Stars: Nick Adams, Chuck Hamilton, Sid Troy, Ross Sturlin
Votes: 653
26. Maverick (1957–1962)
TV-14 | 60 min | Western
Bret and Bart Maverick are well-dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game.
Stars: Jack Kelly, James Garner, Roger Moore, Lane Chandler
Votes: 3,625
27. Bret Maverick (1981–1982)
60 min | Western
Set in Sweetwater, Arizona in the 1880s with solid citizen Bret owning a ranch and part of the Red Ox Saloon. Stable cast with varying stories, often centered on conflict between the ambitious sheriff and everyone else.
Stars: James Garner, Ed Bruce, Ramon Bieri, Richard Hamilton
Votes: 684
28. Kung Fu (1972–1975)
TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
The adventures of Shaolin Monk Kwai Chang Caine as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.
Stars: David Carradine, Radames Pera, Keye Luke, Philip Ahn
Votes: 7,248
29. The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967–1969)
30 min | Western
An old former Army scout and his grandson search the west for the man's son, a gunfighter on the run.
Stars: Walter Brennan, Dack Rambo, Jason Evers, Chuck Horne
Votes: 471
30. Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951–1958)
30 min | Family, Western
Hickok rode Buckshot while 300-pound Jingles rode Joker. Jingles described Hickok as "the bravest, strongest, fightingest U.S. Marshal in the whole West." And that's about it: he beat up all the bad guys and somehow kept his good looks.
Stars: Guy Madison, Andy Devine, Sam Flint, William Haade
Votes: 230
31. Iron Horse (1966–1968)
60 min | Western
Ben Calhoun won the half-completed Buffalo Pass, Scalplock, and Defiance Line railroad in a poker game and must interact with 1880s first nation, bankers, and bad guys to complete the line.
Stars: Dale Robertson, Robert Random, Gary Collins, Roger Torrey
Votes: 231
32. Annie Oakley (1954–1957)
30 min | Western
A fictionalized account of the life of legendary Wild West sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
Stars: Gail Davis, Brad Johnson, Jimmy Hawkins, Bob Woodward
Votes: 379
33. Tate (1960)
30 min | Western
The adventures of a one-armed gunfighter (he lost the use of an arm during the Civil War) in the Old West.
Stars: David McLean, Don Wilbanks, Robert Redford, Ted Markland
Votes: 136
34. The Rough Riders (1958–1959)
30 min | Western
After the Civil War, two former Union soldiers and an ex-Confederate team up to travel the West.
Stars: Kent Taylor, Jan Merlin, Peter Whitney, Bill Catching
Votes: 85
35. The Cisco Kid (1950–1956)
TV-14 | 30 min | Western
The Cisco Kid rides through the American frontier with his sidekick, Pancho, fighting corruption with a blend of pride and humor that created a legend in the hearts of generations of television viewers.
Stars: Duncan Renaldo, Leo Carrillo, Troy Melton, Bill Catching
Votes: 643
36. Tombstone Territory (1957–1960)
TV-PG | 30 min | Western
Tough Sheriff Clay Hollister keeps the law in Tombstone, Arizona with the support of his faithful deputies and the editor of the local newspaper.
Stars: Pat Conway, Richard Eastham, Quentin Sondergaard, Bill Catching
Votes: 537
37. Mackenzie's Raiders (1958–1959)
30 min | Western
Colonel Mackenzie, commander of the 4th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Clark near Brackettville in Kinney County in southwest Texas during the 1870s, receives secret orders from President Ulysses... See full summary »
Stars: Richard Carlson, Art Gilmore, Riley Hill, Jack Ging
Votes: 111
38. Frontier Circus (1961–1962)
60 min | Western
A one-ring circus travels through the American West in the 1880's.
Stars: Chill Wills, John Derek, Richard Jaeckel, J. Pat O'Malley
Votes: 77
39. Trackdown (1957–1959)
30 min | Western
Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman travels the Old West tracking down assorted killers, bank robbers, horse thieves, and other evil-doers.
Stars: Robert Culp, Norman Leavitt, Ellen Corby, Peter Leeds
Votes: 336
40. The Alaskans (1959–1960)
60 min | Adventure
A pair of adventurers are intent on swindling travellers bound for the Yukon Territories during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush.
Stars: Roger Moore, Dorothy Provine, Jeff York, Ray Danton
Votes: 92
41. Yancy Derringer (1958–1959)
30 min | Action, Adventure, Western
An adventurer, gambler, and widely respected southern gentleman is recruited to work as a secret agent, at no pay, in post-Civil War New Orleans, helped by his companion, a silent Pawnee Native American.
Stars: Jock Mahoney, X Brands, Kevin Hagen, Frances Bergen
Votes: 462
42. Bronco (1958–1962)
60 min | Western
A former confederate soldier wanders the old west, and meets such famous characters as Jesse James, William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and Theodore Roosevelt.
Stars: Ty Hardin, Robert Colbert, Clyde Howdy, Mike Road
Votes: 392
43. Law of the Plainsman (1959–1960)
30 min | Western
Sam Buckhart, an Apache, rescues a Cavalry officer who later funds his Harvard education. Buckhart becomes a Deputy Marshal in New Mexico under Marshal Morrison. He boards with Martha Commager and had earlier saved orphan Tess Logan.
Stars: Michael Ansara, Gina Gillespie, Dayton Lummis, Nora Marlowe
Votes: 103
44. Broken Arrow (1956–1958)
30 min | Western
Indian Agent Tom Jeffords makes friends with Chief Cochise, becoming a blood brother of the Apache. Together they fight white schemers and renegade Indians.
Stars: John Lupton, Michael Ansara, Steven Ritch, Steve Conte
Votes: 271
45. The Gray Ghost (1957– )
30 min | Adventure, War, Western
The Civil War exploits of Confederate cavalry officer John Singleton Mosby, the Gray Ghost, was the basis of this syndicated series. Sgt. Magruder was the only other regular character but actual historic people were occasionally portrayed.
Stars: Tod Andrews, Phil Chambers, Sherwood Price, Jean Willes
Votes: 105
46. Buffalo Bill, Jr. (1955–1956)
30 min | Western
Buffalo Bill Jr. and his kid sister Calamity are raised under the watchful eye of Judge Ben 'Fair and Square" Wiley. Together this dynamic trio keep law and order in small town of Wileyville, Arizona.
Stars: Dickie Jones, Nancy Gilbert, Harry Cheshire, Bob Woodward
Votes: 99
47. Nichols (1971–1972)
60 min | Western
In 1914, Nichols, a soldier, sick of killing, returns to his Arizona hometown, and is serving as Sheriff by the Ketcham clan, who run the area. Nichols, who doesn't believe in toting a gun, scoots around via a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Stars: James Garner, Margot Kidder, Neva Patterson, John Beck
Votes: 347
48. Riverboat (1959–1961)
60 min | Adventure, Western
Grey Holden wins a river boat in a poker game, which he then pilots, along with his crew, in various adventures along the Mississippi River. This action series is set in the nineteenth century.
Stars: Darren McGavin, Dick Wessel, Jack Lambert, Burt Reynolds
Votes: 228
49. Whispering Smith (1961)
TV-PG | 30 min | Western
Whispering Smith was a detective on the Denver, Colorado Police Department in the 1870s. This show took case histories from Smith's adventures. George Romack was Smith's partner and John Richards was the police chief.
Stars: Audie Murphy, Guy Mitchell, Sam Buffington, Kay Stewart
Votes: 192
50. The Sheriff of Cochise (1956–1959)
30 min | Crime, Drama, Western
While this sounds like a western, "The Sheriff of Cochise" was a contemporary police drama set in Cochise County, Arizona. Stories seemed strangely similar to "Highway Patrol," emphasizing ... See full summary »
Stars: John Bromfield, Stan Jones, Roy Engel, Joe Kirk
Votes: 100
51. Cowboy G-Men (1952– )
30 min | Western
Pat Gallagher and his sidekick Stoney Crockett are Secret Service agents in the Old West, dispatched by the government to investigate crimes threatening the young nation.
Stars: Russell Hayden, Jackie Coogan, Phil Arnold, X Brands
Votes: 76
52. Judge Roy Bean (1955– )
30 min | Western
Western set in the Texas town of Langtry, named after Lillie Langtry. When storekeeper Roy Bean becomes fed up with the lawlessness in the town, he establishes himself as a judge and introduces a system of law and order.
Stars: Edgar Buchanan, Jack Buetel, Jackie Loughery, X Brands
Votes: 111
53. The Restless Gun (1957–1959)
TV-PG | 30 min | Western
The adventures of Vint Bonner, a cowboy in the post Civil War era.
Stars: John Payne, Leonard P. Geer, Dan Blocker, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 290
54. Shotgun Slade (1959–1961)
30 min | Western
A late entry in the late-1950s television Western boom that featured a lead unlike other show heroes. Slade wasn't a Marshal, Sheriff, or gunfighter for hire; he was a private detective ... See full summary »
Stars: Scott Brady, Frank Ferguson, Monica Lewis, Gregg Palmer
Votes: 128
55. Wichita Town (1959–1960)
30 min | Western
It's about a Wichita U. S. Marshal named Mike Dunbar along with his deputy named Ben Matheson, this show was produced by Four Star, and in association with Mirisch Television Enterprises and McCrea's production company and airs on NBC.
Stars: Joel McCrea, Jody McCrea, Robert Foulk, Robert Anderson
Votes: 56
56. Sugarfoot (1957–1961)
60 min | Western
Correspondence-school law graduate Tom Brewster travels west to seek his fortune. Unfortunately, his "cowboy" abilities leave a lot to be desired and earn him the nickname "Sugarfoot", which is one step lower than a "Tenderfoot".
Stars: Will Hutchins, Charles Fredericks, Gil Perkins, Don 'Red' Barry
Votes: 457
57. The Westerner (1960– )
30 min | Western
Laconic cowboy Dave Blasingame wanders the Wild West with his faithful dog Brown and the occasional companionship of pal Burgundy Smith.
Stars: Brian Keith, Hank Gobble, Jimmy Lee Cook, Michael T. Mikler
Votes: 282
58. Cimarron City (1958–1960)
Approved | 60 min | Western
Cimmaron City is booming due to oil and gold and hopes to become capital of the future state of Oklahoma. Matthew Rockford is the son of the city's founder; he's now mayor and a major cattle rancher. Sheriff Temple must keep law and order.
Stars: George Montgomery, John Smith, Audrey Totter, Dan Blocker
Votes: 183
59. The Texan (1958–1960)
13+ | 30 min | Western
The Texan, a Civil War Veteran whose reputation of being the fastest gun in the west precedes him, roams across Texas from town to town, not looking for trouble, but trouble finds him.
Stars: Rory Calhoun, Regis Parton, Duncan Lamont, James Drake
Votes: 328
60. Colt .45 (1957–1960)
30 min | Western
Christopher Colt appeared to be a gun salesman, but he was actually a government agent tracking down notorious bad guys. His cousin Sam took the lead when the studio had contract disputes with the original star.
Stars: Wayde Preston, Donald May, Kenneth MacDonald, Don 'Red' Barry
Votes: 133
61. U.S. Marshal (1958–1960)
30 min | Crime, Drama, Western
United States Marshal (renamed from Sheriff of Cochise) is a crime drama set in Tuscon, Arizona about a U.S. Marshal fighting crime.
Stars: John Bromfield, James Griffith, Robert Brubaker, Buck Young
Votes: 108
62. Casey Jones (1957–1958)
TV-PG | 30 min | Western
Television version of the classic train story of Casey Jones, the engineer of the steam-engine powered "Cannonball Express".
Stars: Alan Hale Jr., Bobby Clark, Eddy Waller, Dub Taylor
Votes: 237
63. Shane (1966)
60 min | Western
Shane works for the Starett family, a young widow, her son, and her aging father-in-law, protecting them against the anti-sodbuster rancher Ryker and other perils plaguing the Old West.
Stars: David Carradine, Jill Ireland, Tom Tully, Christopher Shea
Votes: 210
64. The Lazarus Man (1996)
60 min | Mystery, Western
A former bodyguard of President Lincoln digs his way out of a grave but has amnesia. He gets involved with a group of Civil War veterans who want to assassinate Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.
Stars: Robert Urich, Isabelle Townsend, Wayne Grace, Natalija Nogulich
Votes: 260
65. Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (1955–1958)
30 min | Adventure, Western
Canadian Mountie Sgt. Preston patrols the wilds of the Yukon with his horse Rex and his faithful dog Yukon King, battling both the elements and criminals.
Stars: Dick Simmons, Yukon King, Vic Perrin, Rex
Votes: 390
66. Hec Ramsey (1972–1974)
90 min | Drama, Mystery, Western
The adventures of Hec Ramsey, a turn-of-the-20th-century detective who prefers to use his brains instead of his guns.
Stars: Richard Boone, Rick Lenz, Harry Morgan, Dennis Rucker
Votes: 431
67. Frontier Doctor (1956– )
30 min | Western
The adventures of a small town doctor working in the Arizona territory during the early 1900s.
Stars: Rex Allen, Mason Alan Dinehart, Robert Swan, Tom Black
Votes: 112
68. Gunslinger (1961– )
60 min | Western
Cord, a gunfighter, works undercover for the local Army garrison Commander, trying to help keep peace in the territory.
Stars: Tony Young, Preston Foster, Midge Ware, Dee Pollock
Votes: 65
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