Summary
- The Western genre can capitalize on tropes created by movies, subverting them to defy audience expectations.
- Shows about the Wild West draw from real events and people, or they might explore fictional narratives.
- Including atmospheric elements that make the show feel like the Wild West leads to a success and well-received series.
TV shows in the Western genre can be set in the present day or place their characters in the Wild West, dealing with the complex legacy of this part of United States history. Instead of directly commenting on contemporary issues, TV shows set in the past are allegorical. Despite this, racism, sexism, and discrimination in general are just as relevant today as they were during the formation of the West. In many ways, the idea of the West is an American fantasy, and the best Western TV shows attempt to dispel the illusions about what life was like back then.
The tropes of shootouts, gunslingers, and corrupt cowboys who play by their own rules are largely fictionalized and shouldn't be taken as an accurate retelling of history.
Almost every Western TV show couldn't exist without classic Western movies because they created the genre conventions that series have the opportunity to subvert or mine for content. Themes of violence, individuality, and conquering a lawless land were invented for storytelling and cinema. The tropes of shootouts, gunslingers, and corrupt cowboys who play by their own rules are largely fictionalized and shouldn't be taken as an accurate retelling of history. Some shows about the Old West attempt to recreate a gritty realism, while others take pleasure in extrapolating on the fantasy.
10 Classic Old Western TV Shows That Still Hold Up Today
With shows like Yellowstone and Lawman: Bass Reeves popularizing TV Westerns again, it's worth looking back at the classic shows that still hold up.
10 That Dirty Black Bag (2022)
A limited series told and shot in the Spaghetti Western style
Shot in Italy and Morocco, That Dirty Black Bag follows the popular trend of the Spaghetti Western, the genre in which Clint Eastwood made his name. Some of the best characters come from Sergio Leon's Spaghetti Westerns, and recent television shows will try to model themselves after this example. In That Dirty Black Bag, the central themes are moral ambiguity, and how two men on opposites of the law might have more in common than they think.
Each character is well-developed and fleshed out, creating a vibrant landscape that feels lived in and fresh all at once.
Dominic Cooper stars as Arthur McCoy, a classic Old West sheriff who finds himself against the wall when it's time to do what's right. In only eight episodes, That Dirty Black Bag justifies its length, even though at times the story might have been better served in the film format. Each character is well-developed and fleshed out, creating a vibrant landscape that feels lived in and fresh all at once. The shootouts are exciting, and even though no character is above reproach, it's fun to root for the ones that distinguish themselves in skill and charisma.
Watch That Dirty Black Bag on AMC+.
9 The Son (2017 - 2019)
Greed gets the better of a family's patriarch as he tries to build his legacy
Pierce Brosnan cuts an imposing figure in The Son, an ambitious show that attempts to tell a multi-generational tale of a Texan family. It's based on the novel of the same name by Philipp Meyer and follows the life of Eli McCullough (Brosnan) in two distinct phases of his life. As a boy, he was adopted by Comanches and raised among them, but in his future, he's the kind of man people have nightmares about. He exploits the land as an oil baron and ruthlessly cuts down his competition in the business field, supposedly in the name of family.
Despicable though he may be, Eli is a compelling antihero, and the question of how he became such a corrupted, violent man is on every audience member's mind. Oil is something shows about the Wild West are hesitant to touch on, as it's such a hotly debated topic and gave rise to some of the richest and most horrible individuals in American history. The Son is unafraid to engage with this fact and wants the audience not only to dislike Eli but to fear him as well.
Watch The Son on AMC+.