Many older people will say that they don't make television the way they used to. If you love the combination of action, adventure and history, this is true in a way. These days you can choose from legal dramas, cop shows, comedies and many other genres but there aren't that many shows that use the old Wild West as setting anymore. If you need a change, it might be time to try watching classic TV Westerns online.
The heyday of the television Western was the Fifties. This was the era of 'Gunsmoke', one of the greatest series in the genre's history. This decade also gave the world popular heroes such as Roy Rogers and two of the most famous masked crusaders, the Lone Ranger and Zorro.
Famous names in Hollywood were cast in shows that were to become classics. For instance, James Garner was the hero of 'Maverick'. Other shows starred relative unknowns who later became huge stars. 'The Alaskans', for instance, had a young Roger Moore in a lead role and Moore later became famous for playing James Bond. 'Rawhide' starred a young actor named Clint Eastwood, who would go on to become of of history's ultimate movie cowboys.
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.
The genre went into a decline during the next two decades. The long-running shows from the Sixties came to an end and with a few exceptions, such as 'How the West Was Won', the traditional gun-slinging Westerns weren't very popular anymore. There were shows that offered a new take on the traditional genre, though, for instance by using modern settings or making their heroes more gentle, such as Grizzly Adams.
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.
You'll be able to stream many of the most popular Westerns online. Some sites will charge a small membership fee while others are free of charge. All you need to do is find a show you'd like to see, cook up some cowboy beans and enjoy a great night in.
The heyday of the television Western was the Fifties. This was the era of 'Gunsmoke', one of the greatest series in the genre's history. This decade also gave the world popular heroes such as Roy Rogers and two of the most famous masked crusaders, the Lone Ranger and Zorro.
Famous names in Hollywood were cast in shows that were to become classics. For instance, James Garner was the hero of 'Maverick'. Other shows starred relative unknowns who later became huge stars. 'The Alaskans', for instance, had a young Roger Moore in a lead role and Moore later became famous for playing James Bond. 'Rawhide' starred a young actor named Clint Eastwood, who would go on to become of of history's ultimate movie cowboys.
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.
The genre went into a decline during the next two decades. The long-running shows from the Sixties came to an end and with a few exceptions, such as 'How the West Was Won', the traditional gun-slinging Westerns weren't very popular anymore. There were shows that offered a new take on the traditional genre, though, for instance by using modern settings or making their heroes more gentle, such as Grizzly Adams.
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.
You'll be able to stream many of the most popular Westerns online. Some sites will charge a small membership fee while others are free of charge. All you need to do is find a show you'd like to see, cook up some cowboy beans and enjoy a great night in.
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