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.
The trend for great Western television series continued in the Sixties. The longest-running series in the genre was 'Bonanza', which started in the late Fifties, ran throughout the Sixties and into the early Seventies. 'The High Chaparral' was another hit and 'The Big Valley' boasted a cast that included Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans and Lee Majors of 'The Six Million Dollar Man' fame.
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.
Female characters started featuring more strongly too. While 'Little House on the Prairie' was supposed to be a vehicle for Michael Landon after his time on 'Bonanza', its real star was Melissa Gilbert, who played young Laura Ingalls. Jane Seymour took things a step further in the Nineties when she played a female doctor in 'Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman'.
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.
The trend for great Western television series continued in the Sixties. The longest-running series in the genre was 'Bonanza', which started in the late Fifties, ran throughout the Sixties and into the early Seventies. 'The High Chaparral' was another hit and 'The Big Valley' boasted a cast that included Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans and Lee Majors of 'The Six Million Dollar Man' fame.
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.
Female characters started featuring more strongly too. While 'Little House on the Prairie' was supposed to be a vehicle for Michael Landon after his time on 'Bonanza', its real star was Melissa Gilbert, who played young Laura Ingalls. Jane Seymour took things a step further in the Nineties when she played a female doctor in 'Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman'.
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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