Great TV Westerns
A list of the best Western TV shows. I'll add a little info about the unique weapons used by the stars.
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- CreatorHerb MeadowSam RolfeStarsRichard BooneKam TongHal NeedhamThe adventures of a gentlemanly gunfighter-for-hire.Paladin had a standard Colt .45 but he had a custom made holster with the chess piece insignia and he usually had a derringer hidden somewhere.
- CreatorDavid DortortFred HamiltonStarsLorne GreeneMichael LandonDan BlockerThe Wild West adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their Nevada ranch while helping the surrounding community.one of the greatest series' of all time.
- StarsSteve McQueenWright KingOlan SouleA Civil War veteran with a sawed-off rifle as a holstered weapon makes a living as a bounty hunter in the Wild West of the 1870s.Josh Randal had his unforgettable sawed off winchester rifle. Ignore the fact that it was completely impractical. Steve McQuees was the coolest.
- StarsChuck ConnorsJohnny CrawfordPaul FixThe adventures of a Wild West rancher, wielding a customized rapid-fire Winchester rifle, and his son.Chuck Connors used a tricked out winchester that would immediately fire when the action was worked allowing him to fire very fast.
- StarsHugh O'BrianJimmy NoelEthan LaidlawLoosely based on historical fact, the series portrays the gunslinging Wyatt Earp and his successful determination for law and order.Wyatt carried 2 guns and 1 of them was often his extra long barrel buntline special,
- StarsGene BarryAllen JaffeAllison HayesBat Masterson roams The West and defends the innocent.Bat carried a short barreled colt in a backwards facing holster under his coat. He also had his "lightning cane" which had more functions than Batman's utility belt.
- StarsFess ParkerPatricia BlairDarby HintonFrontier hero Daniel Boone conducts surveys and expeditions around Boonesborough, running into both friendly and hostile Indians, before, during, and even after the Revolutionary War.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenClyde WareStarsJames ArnessMilburn StoneAmanda BlakeMarshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
- StarsClint WalkerClyde HowdyChuck HicksAfter the Civil War, nomadic adventurer Cheyenne Bodie roamed the West looking for fights, bad guys to beat up, and women. His job changed from episode to episode.Sometimes Cheyenne carried a remington revolver which was unusual for TV at the time.
- CreatorA.I. BezzeridesLouis F. EdelmanStarsRichard LongPeter BreckLee MajorsThe Wild West adventures of the Barkley family in California's San Joaquin Valley.
- StarsJohn RussellPeter BrownPeggie CastleThis is the story of Marshal Dan Troop of Laramie, Wyoming, and his Deputy Johnny McKay, an orphan Troop took under his wing.
- CreatorAaron SpellingStarsDon DurantMark GoddardKaren SharpeEx-gunfighter Johnny Ringo is now the sheriff of a small Western town, and attempts to keep the peace with the aid of his girl Laura Thomas and his deputy Cully.He had a customized 6 shooter with an extra barrel hidden under the main barrel. The extra one held a .410 shotgun shell. How cool is that?
- StarsNeville BrandPeter BrownWilliam SmithA group of Texas Rangers keeps getting in and out of trouble, under the command of Captain Parmalee.
- CreatorGeorge W. TrendleGeorge W. GeorgeStarsJay SilverheelsClayton MooreJohn HartThe adventures of the masked hero and his Native American partner.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenStarsClint EastwoodPaul BrinegarSteve RainesGil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive. He is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.
- CreatorRuth WoodmanStarsStanley AndrewsRobert TaylorRonald ReaganWestern stories and legends based, and filmed, in and around Death Valley, California. One of the longest-running Western series, originating on radio in the 1930s. The continuing sponsor was "20 Mule Team" Borax, a product formerly mined in Death Valley.
- StarsFrank McGrathTerry WilsonRobert HortonStories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains.
- StarsScott ForbesWilliam SchallertJohn LaingThe adventures of frontier hero Jim Bowie are brought to life in this popular children's television series.
- CreatorDavid DortortStarsLeif EricksonCameron MitchellHenry DarrowThe Cannon family runs the High Chaparral Ranch in the Arizona Territory in 1870s.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenStarsDoug McClureJames DruryLee J. CobbPersonable Western series based in Wyoming from the 1890s onward.
- CreatorSamuel A. PeeplesStarsJames StacyWayne MaunderAndrew DugganA tyrannical owner of a vast ranch recruits his two estranged and vastly opposite sons to maintain an uneasy alliance as they fight off forces that would destroy the ranch.
- CreatorChristopher KnopfStarsStuart WhitmanPercy HerbertRandy BooneThe western adventures of tough, but fair, Marshal Jim Crown.
- CreatorGlen A. LarsonStarsBen MurphyRoger DavisPete DuelHannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, two of the most wanted outlaws in the history of the West, are popular "with everyone except the railroads and the banks".
- CreatorLarry CohenStarsChuck ConnorsChuck HamiltonWilliam BryantIn the 1880s Jason McCord travels the country trying to prove he's no coward. He needs to do this because the military career of this West point graduate came to an end when he was thrown out of the army after being accused of cowardice.
- CreatorNick AdamsAndrew J. FenadyStarsNick AdamsChuck HamiltonSid TroyAfter the end of the Civil War, a former Confederate Army private roams the Wild West, and, as a rogue drifter, gets involved in helping out various settlers threatened by various bad guys.
- CreatorRoy HugginsStarsJack KellyJames GarnerRoger MooreBret and Bart Maverick are well-dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game.
- CreatorGordon T. DawsonStarsJames GarnerEd BruceRamon BieriSet in Sweetwater, Arizona in the 1880s with solid citizen Bret owning a ranch and part of the Red Ox Saloon. Stable cast with varying stories, often centered on conflict between the ambitious sheriff and everyone else.
- CreatorEd SpielmanHerman MillerStarsDavid CarradineRadames PeraKeye LukeThe adventures of Shaolin Monk Kwai Chang Caine as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.
- CreatorRichard CarrAaron SpellingStarsWalter BrennanDack RamboJason EversAn old former Army scout and his grandson search the west for the man's son, a gunfighter on the run.
- StarsGuy MadisonAndy DevineSam FlintHickok rode Buckshot while 300-pound Jingles rode Joker. Jingles described Hickok as "the bravest, strongest, fightingest U.S. Marshal in the whole West." And that's about it: he beat up all the bad guys and somehow kept his good looks.
- CreatorJames GoldstoneStephen KandelStarsDale RobertsonRobert RandomGary CollinsBen Calhoun won the half-completed Buffalo Pass, Scalplock, and Defiance Line railroad in a poker game and must interact with 1880s first nation, bankers, and bad guys to complete the line.
- StarsGail DavisBrad JohnsonJimmy HawkinsA fictionalized account of the life of legendary Wild West sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
- CreatorHarry Julian FinkStarsDavid McLeanDon WilbanksRobert RedfordThe adventures of a one-armed gunfighter (he lost the use of an arm during the Civil War) in the Old West.
- StarsKent TaylorJan MerlinPeter WhitneyAfter the Civil War, two former Union soldiers and an ex-Confederate team up to travel the West.
- StarsDuncan RenaldoLeo CarrilloTroy MeltonThe Cisco Kid rides through the American frontier with his sidekick, Pancho, fighting corruption with a blend of pride and humor that created a legend in the hearts of generations of television viewers.
- StarsPat ConwayRichard EasthamQuentin SondergaardTough Sheriff Clay Hollister keeps the law in Tombstone, Arizona with the support of his faithful deputies and the editor of the local newspaper.
- StarsRichard CarlsonArt GilmoreRiley HillColonel Mackenzie, commander of the 4th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Clark near Brackettville in Kinney County in southwest Texas during the 1870s, receives secret orders from President Ulysses S. Grant and Secretary of War William W. Belknap to stop bandits from crossing the Rio Grande into the United States, or from returning to Mexico.
- CreatorSamuel A. PeeplesStarsChill WillsJohn DerekRichard JaeckelA one-ring circus travels through the American West in the 1880's.
- StarsRobert CulpNorman LeavittEllen CorbyTexas Ranger Hoby Gilman travels the Old West tracking down assorted killers, bank robbers, horse thieves, and other evil-doers.
- StarsRoger MooreDorothy ProvineJeff YorkA pair of adventurers are intent on swindling travellers bound for the Yukon Territories during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush.
- CreatorRichard SaleMary LoosStarsJock MahoneyX BrandsKevin HagenAn adventurer, gambler, and widely respected southern gentleman is recruited to work as a secret agent, at no pay, in post-Civil War New Orleans, helped by his companion, a silent Pawnee Native American.
- StarsTy HardinRobert ColbertClyde HowdyA former confederate soldier wanders the old west, and meets such famous characters as Jesse James, William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and Theodore Roosevelt.
- StarsMichael AnsaraGina GillespieDayton LummisSam Buckhart, an Apache, rescues a Cavalry officer who later funds his Harvard education. Buckhart becomes a Deputy Marshal in New Mexico under Marshal Morrison. He boards with Martha Commager and had earlier saved orphan Tess Logan.
- StarsJohn LuptonMichael AnsaraSteven RitchIndian Agent Tom Jeffords makes friends with Chief Cochise, becoming a blood brother of the Apache. Together they fight white schemers and renegade Indians.
- StarsTod AndrewsPhil ChambersSherwood PriceThe Civil War exploits of Confederate cavalry officer John Singleton Mosby, the Gray Ghost, was the basis of this syndicated series. Sgt. Magruder was the only other regular character but actual historic people were occasionally portrayed.
- StarsDickie JonesNancy GilbertHarry CheshireBuffalo Bill Jr. and his kid sister Calamity are raised under the watchful eye of Judge Ben 'Fair and Square" Wiley. Together this dynamic trio keep law and order in small town of Wileyville, Arizona.
- CreatorFrank PiersonStarsJames GarnerMargot KidderNeva PattersonIn 1914, Nichols, a soldier, sick of killing, returns to his Arizona hometown, and is serving as Sheriff by the Ketcham clan, who run the area. Nichols, who doesn't believe in toting a gun, scoots around via a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
- StarsDarren McGavinDick WesselJack LambertGrey Holden wins a river boat in a poker game, which he then pilots, along with his crew, in various adventures along the Mississippi River. This action series is set in the nineteenth century.
- StarsAudie MurphyGuy MitchellSam BuffingtonWhispering Smith was a detective on the Denver, Colorado Police Department in the 1870s. This show took case histories from Smith's adventures. George Romack was Smith's partner and John Richards was the police chief.
- CreatorStan JonesMort BriskinStarsJohn BromfieldStan JonesRoy EngelWhile this sounds like a western, "The Sheriff of Cochise" was a contemporary police drama set in Cochise County, Arizona. Stories seemed strangely similar to "Highway Patrol," emphasizing fist fights and car chases rather than gunplay. Tough Sheriff Frank Morgan was eventually promoted to U.S. Marshall and given the entire state of Arizona to keep under control (the series title would subsequently change to U.S. MARSHAL and remain in syndication until 1960). Singer Stan Jones was the series creator but departed the show in 1958. A total of 156 episodes were produced under both titles.
- StarsRussell HaydenJackie CooganPhil ArnoldPat Gallagher and his sidekick Stoney Crockett are Secret Service agents in the Old West, dispatched by the government to investigate crimes threatening the young nation.
- StarsEdgar BuchananJack BuetelJackie LougheryWestern set in the Texas town of Langtry, named after Lillie Langtry. When storekeeper Roy Bean becomes fed up with the lawlessness in the town, he establishes himself as a judge and introduces a system of law and order.
- StarsJohn PayneLeonard P. GeerDan BlockerThe adventures of Vint Bonner, a cowboy in the post Civil War era.
- CreatorFrank GruberStarsScott BradyFrank FergusonMonica LewisA late entry in the late-1950s television Western boom that featured a lead unlike other show heroes. Slade wasn't a Marshal, Sheriff, or gunfighter for hire; he was a private detective hired to track down criminals, return stolen money, or solve mysteries surrounding the deaths of townspeople. The show had more in common with shows like "Peter Gunn" (1958) and "77 Sunset Strip" (1958) than "Gunsmoke" (1955) and "Bonanza" (1959). This show depended on strong characters and storylines rather than action.
- StarsJoel McCreaJody McCreaRobert FoulkIt's about a Wichita U. S. Marshal named Mike Dunbar along with his deputy named Ben Matheson, this show was produced by Four Star, and in association with Mirisch Television Enterprises and McCrea's production company and airs on NBC.
- StarsWill HutchinsCharles FredericksGil PerkinsCorrespondence-school law graduate Tom Brewster travels west to seek his fortune. Unfortunately, his "cowboy" abilities leave a lot to be desired and earn him the nickname "Sugarfoot", which is one step lower than a "Tenderfoot".
- CreatorSam PeckinpahStarsBrian KeithHank GobbleJimmy Lee CookLaconic cowboy Dave Blasingame wanders the Wild West with his faithful dog Brown and the occasional companionship of pal Burgundy Smith.
- StarsGeorge MontgomeryJohn SmithAudrey TotterCimmaron City is booming due to oil and gold and hopes to become capital of the future state of Oklahoma. Matthew Rockford is the son of the city's founder; he's now mayor and a major cattle rancher. Sheriff Temple must keep law and order.
- CreatorJames GunnKathleen HiteStarsRory CalhounRegis PartonDuncan LamontThe Texan, a Civil War Veteran whose reputation of being the fastest gun in the west precedes him, roams across Texas from town to town, not looking for trouble, but trouble finds him.
- StarsWayde PrestonDonald MayKenneth MacDonaldChristopher Colt appeared to be a gun salesman, but he was actually a government agent tracking down notorious bad guys. His cousin Sam took the lead when the studio had contract disputes with the original star.
- CreatorMort BriskinStarsJohn BromfieldJames GriffithRobert BrubakerUnited States Marshal (renamed from Sheriff of Cochise) is a crime drama set in Tuscon, Arizona about a U.S. Marshal fighting crime.
- StarsAlan Hale Jr.Bobby ClarkEddy WallerTelevision version of the classic train story of Casey Jones, the engineer of the steam-engine powered "Cannonball Express".
- StarsDavid CarradineJill IrelandTom TullyShane works for the Starett family, a young widow, her son, and her aging father-in-law, protecting them against the anti-sodbuster rancher Ryker and other perils plaguing the Old West.
- CreatorColleen O'DwyerDick BeebeMichael OgiensStarsRobert UrichIsabelle TownsendWayne GraceA former bodyguard of President Lincoln digs his way out of a grave but has amnesia. He gets involved with a group of Civil War veterans who want to assassinate Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.
- CreatorGeorge W. TrendleFran StrikerStarsDick SimmonsYukon KingVic PerrinCanadian Mountie Sgt. Preston patrols the wilds of the Yukon with his horse Rex and his faithful dog Yukon King, battling both the elements and criminals.
- StarsRichard BooneRick LenzHarry MorganThe adventures of Hec Ramsey, a turn-of-the-20th-century detective who prefers to use his brains instead of his guns.
- StarsRex AllenMason Alan DinehartRobert SwanThe adventures of a small town doctor working in the Arizona territory during the early 1900s.
- StarsTony YoungPreston FosterMidge WareCord, a gunfighter, works undercover for the local Army garrison Commander, trying to help keep peace in the territory.