5 Best Western TV Shows You Can Binge-Watch In One Weekend

Just as the Western genre at one time dominated the cinema, so too did it once rule the television airwaves. Programs like "Gunsmoke" and "Death Valley Days" boasted several hundred episodes over two decades, and even Clint Eastwood launched his career on "Rawhide." To say that TV has a storied history with the genre would be an understatement. So if you're looking for a Western series to binge over the weekend, we have some good news for you.

While many Western programs — be they classic shows like "Bonanza" or modern hits like "Deadwood" — are multi-season ordeals, there are a handful of one-and-done takes on the genre perfect for a quick weekend binge. From iconic television miniseries to modern streaming hits, we've pulled from various eras of Western history with this one. While some of these shows contain prequels or sequels, none require any further viewing beyond these single-season adventures.

For more exciting Western adventures perfect for a quick binge, don't sleep on the best Western TV miniseries of all time. Admittedly, there may be some brief overlap, but you probably won't argue. So saddle up and prepare to ride out into that weekend sunset, because these are the TV Westerns you ought to give a shot at a quick three-night (or less) binge.

Produced by none other than Steven Spielberg himself, "Into the West" is a phenomenal six-part television event that ran on TNT back in the summer of 2005. Packed to the brim with recognizable and memorable stars — everyone from Josh Brolin, Keri Russell, Skeet Ulrich, and Wes Studi to Gil Birmingham, Sean Astin, Lance Henriksen, and Graham Greene — the drama follows two families, one white and the other Native American, as they deal with the changes of the 19th century.

Stretching from the "mountain man" frontier era through the American Civil War and then to the end of the century, "Into the West" is a broad but distinctly personal view of the Old West and its hearty challenges. The miniseries largely follows Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle) and his wife Thunder Heart Woman (Tonantzin Carmelo), who unite these two branches of the American people as the West is "tamed" beneath them.

With 90-minute episodes, "Into the West" isn't a quick watch, but it's certainly doable over the course of a weekend. Although it's largely fallen to the wayside, this Spielberg-produced project is arguably one of the best Western miniseries out there, with an impressive feature-level quality and a scale beyond what most classic TV Westerns could ever pull off. You'll be sad when it's over.

From the mind of upcoming "Dutton Ranch" creator Chad Feehan and executive producer Taylor Sheridan, "Lawmen: Bass Reeves" is a eight-part miniseries following the life of the often-overlooked Bass Reeves. While the show doesn't tell you everything about Bass Reeves' time with the badge, it gets pretty darn close. David Oyelowo (also an executive producer) blows us away in the lead role, bringing a deep human connection to the historical figure.

"Lawmen: Bass Reeves" reveals how Reeves became the Indian Territory's most notorious lawkeeper — and the first Black man west of the Mississippi to be given the title of Deputy U.S. Marshal. But more than that, the miniseries details the history of the Reeves family, namely how he and his wife Jennie (Lauren E. Banks) fell in love, and the weight that the badge and gun carry. Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland also star.

While Feehan had high hopes that Paramount+ would renew "Lawmen" for a second season (which would've transitioned the project into an anthology-like format following other Old West heroes), there have been no updates on the hit Western series. Instead, we're left to enjoy this period adventure as is, which may just be for the best. After all, how do you top Oyelowo's performance?

From Mark L. Smith, the screenwriter behind "The Revenant," and director Peter Berg, "American Primeval" is perhaps one of the bloodiest, most intense Western dramas to be brought to life in recent years. A Netflix original, the six-part series is one of the best Western shows on streaming right now, but it's not one for the faint of heart. It's also quite controversial, as it details some of the horrors committed by the Mormon Church under the leadership of Brigham Young (played by Kim Coates).

When a grief-stricken mountain man named Isaac Reed (Taylor Kitsch) is tasked with guiding runaway wife and mother Sara Rowell (Betty Gilpin) and her son Devon (Preston Mota) through the untamed West, they find themselves on an unlikely journey that will change them forever. Meanwhile, retired explorer Jim Bridger (Shea Whigham) stands as one of the last lines of defense against Young's plans to force the Utah Territory under his complete control.

While not completely historically accurate, "American Primeval" is a fascinating exploration of the Utah War and the incredibly violent nature of the Wild West of the mid-1800s. Kitsch and Gilpin are phenomenal on the screen together, and these 45-minute episodes will simply fly by over the weekend. Here's hoping Berg and Smith can expand the narrative even further.

We mentioned Taylor Sheridan in passing earlier, but with "1883" he proved himself a master of the Western who, if given the right chance, can elevate the genre beyond its usual trappings. A prequel to "Yellowstone" and a direct precursor to "1923," this origin story follows the original band of Duttons who move from Fort Worth, Texas, to Paradise Valley, Montana — and all the hardship that came with such migration.

"1883" is part survival story, part coming-of-age tale, and part historical epic that refuses to romanticize the past as it details the real-life horrors that immigrants and pioneers had to face when settling the American West. As Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) joins her family on the adventure, she finds herself while out on the plains and discovers her place in her family's violent and tragic destiny. The Old West has never been riveting or more intense than this.

In 10 episodes, "1883" is a brilliant take on the genre that stands firmly on its own apart from "Yellowstone." If the association with Sheridan's other Paramount program is a turn-off, consider this miniseries anyway. And, if you loved "1883," give these other period Western shows a try.

While some consider it the greatest Western film ever made thanks to some unique branding, the truth is that "Lonesome Dove" is actually a miniseries. Based on the novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry, this four-part television epic is absolutely everything you could ask for in a Western. Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones are masters at work as Augustus "Gus" McCrae and Woodrow F. Call, who remain among the finest characters to ever exist in the genre.

"Lonesome Dove" is not only one of Duvall's greatest cinematic achievements, but a truly brilliant experience all around. As the Hat Creek Outfit decide to drive cattle from their home in Texas to the unknown lands of Montana, they find themselves encountering the remnants of the lead Texas Rangers' old lives, both in the form of enemies and lost loves. As adventurous as it is breathtaking, "Lonesome Dove" is a must-see for any Western aficionado.

While there are several sequels and prequels to the 1989 miniseries out there, this is a situation where the original is undoubtedly the best. "Lonesome Dove" is a triumph in Western filmmaking and a highly bingeable opportunity — Duvall and Jones alone are worth the six-plus-hour runtime. If you simply watch it as an extended motion picture, it wouldn't be so different from many of Hollywood's finest epics.