Nowadays there is so much choice when it comes to television shows that it can be overwhelming trying to decide what to watch. You may even find yourself wishing for a time when things were simpler. The solution is to give in to nostalgia and watch classic TV Westerns online.
The Fifties was the great era of the TV Western. There were many shows to choose from and the heroes of the day were Zorro, the Lone Ranger and the singing cowboy Roy Rogers. One of the most popular shows at the time, and still considered a leader in the genre, was 'Gunsmoke'.
The end of the decade saw two series that starred actors who would go on to much greater things. One of the stars of 'The Alaskans' was a young Roger Moore, who later became famous as Bond, James Bond. The cast of 'Rawhide' included Clint Eastwood, who would become the hero of many a classic Western film before taking on his most iconic role, that of Dirty Harry.
Some of the great shows of the Fifties ran throughout the Sixties and into the Seventies too. 'Gunsmoke' was one. Another was 'Bonanza', which starred a young Michael Landon. The Sixties also saw the creation of new hit shows, including 'The High Chaparral' and 'The Big Valley'. The latter's cast included some actors who went on to become big names in the Seventies and Eighties, such as Lee Majors, Linda Evans and Barbara Stanwyck.
By the Seventies, attitudes changed and there wasn't much call for the very male-oriented traditional Western anymore. 'How the West Was Won' was an acclaimed miniseries but the long-running shows of the previous two decades came to an end. The focus was now on family, for instance in 'Little House on the Prairie', or they moved away from violence and towards more gentle values, with heroes like the animal-loving Grizzly Adams. There were also shows that used a modern setting instead of the old Wild West.
The Western genre tends to be very male-oriented and women normally have small, supporting roles. There were two notable exceptions, though. In the Seventies, 'Little House on the Prairie', with 'Bonanza' star Michael Landon, made a household name of the young Melissa Gilbert, who played the main character. Former Bond girl Jane Seymour played a strong female role model in 'Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman' in the Nineties.
By the new millennium, a new type of Western, one with an interesting twist, was born. Josh Whedon's 'Firefly' was a so-called space Western. It featured the characteristics of traditional Westerns, with new lands to be tamed, outlaws on the run from the authorities and of course horses but it was set in outer space and the heroes traveled by spaceship. 'Firefly' only lasted one season but gained an exceptionally loyal fan base and is now considered a cult classic.
Most TV Westerns are available for streaming online. There are many sites that offer these shows for viewing and some even focus exclusively on the genre. For a wonderful night in, find your favorite show, cook a pot of cowboy beans, sit back and relive the past.
The Fifties was the great era of the TV Western. There were many shows to choose from and the heroes of the day were Zorro, the Lone Ranger and the singing cowboy Roy Rogers. One of the most popular shows at the time, and still considered a leader in the genre, was 'Gunsmoke'.
The end of the decade saw two series that starred actors who would go on to much greater things. One of the stars of 'The Alaskans' was a young Roger Moore, who later became famous as Bond, James Bond. The cast of 'Rawhide' included Clint Eastwood, who would become the hero of many a classic Western film before taking on his most iconic role, that of Dirty Harry.
Some of the great shows of the Fifties ran throughout the Sixties and into the Seventies too. 'Gunsmoke' was one. Another was 'Bonanza', which starred a young Michael Landon. The Sixties also saw the creation of new hit shows, including 'The High Chaparral' and 'The Big Valley'. The latter's cast included some actors who went on to become big names in the Seventies and Eighties, such as Lee Majors, Linda Evans and Barbara Stanwyck.
By the Seventies, attitudes changed and there wasn't much call for the very male-oriented traditional Western anymore. 'How the West Was Won' was an acclaimed miniseries but the long-running shows of the previous two decades came to an end. The focus was now on family, for instance in 'Little House on the Prairie', or they moved away from violence and towards more gentle values, with heroes like the animal-loving Grizzly Adams. There were also shows that used a modern setting instead of the old Wild West.
The Western genre tends to be very male-oriented and women normally have small, supporting roles. There were two notable exceptions, though. In the Seventies, 'Little House on the Prairie', with 'Bonanza' star Michael Landon, made a household name of the young Melissa Gilbert, who played the main character. Former Bond girl Jane Seymour played a strong female role model in 'Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman' in the Nineties.
By the new millennium, a new type of Western, one with an interesting twist, was born. Josh Whedon's 'Firefly' was a so-called space Western. It featured the characteristics of traditional Westerns, with new lands to be tamed, outlaws on the run from the authorities and of course horses but it was set in outer space and the heroes traveled by spaceship. 'Firefly' only lasted one season but gained an exceptionally loyal fan base and is now considered a cult classic.
Most TV Westerns are available for streaming online. There are many sites that offer these shows for viewing and some even focus exclusively on the genre. For a wonderful night in, find your favorite show, cook a pot of cowboy beans, sit back and relive the past.
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