There are some fantastic Western TV shows on Netflix, and fans of the genre will be pleased with what the streamer has to offer. Western TV shows have been having something of a Renaissance, thanks in large part to Yellowstone and the series of shows it’s spawned. Now, there are plenty of Western shows to peruse on every platform.
Netflix, in particular, has been strengthening its Western TV show offerings in the last couple of years to add to its already robust library of Western movies. The breadth of Westerns on Netflix includes everything from classic cowboys and thief shows to neo-Western series that are among the best shows ever.
Django (2023)
A reimagining of the 1966 Italian film of the same name, but not Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 revisionist Western, Django is an Italian and French co-production, though in the English language. The series takes place in the Old West of the 1860s-1870s and stars Matthias Schoenaerts as Django.
After the murder of his family eight years later, Django has been on the hunt for his daughter, Sarah (Lisa Vicari). His search leads him to the town of New Babylon, where he finds Sarah, who is afraid of her gun-wielding father. The accents can wobble from scene to scene, but the explosive violence makes for some shocking scenes.
Ransom Canyon (2025)
Romance and Westerns go together well, but there aren’t a huge number of them on TV. Thankfully, we have Ransom Canyon, based on Jodi Thomas’ series of books. The show follows three ranching family dynasties in a small Texas town who are vying for control of a critical piece of land.
Outside forces collapse on Ransom, forcing enemies to become friends, and underneath it all is the burgeoning relationship between Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel) and Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly). It’s a rustic soap opera filled with twists and turns that will keep you engaged if not totally floored.
The Ranch (2016-2020)
A sitcom with the heart of a Western, The Ranch is a four-season series that takes place on Iron River Ranch in Colorado, about six hours from Denver and more than one traffic light. The owners of Iron River are the Bennett family, consisting of Colt (Ashton Kutcher), Rooster (Danny Masterson), Maggie (Debra Winger), and Beau (Sam Elliott).
Despite the series being pitched as a “right-wing” sitcom, it’s actually more politically sensitive and discerning than it may seem. It’s certainly a formulaic show with plenty of predictable plots, but the chemistry between everyone works very well, providing plenty of laughs and memorable moments.
Wyatt Earp And The Cowboy War (2024)
Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War is a 2024 TV series that depicts the feud between Wyatt Earp (Tim Fellingham) and Ike Clanton (Jack Gordon), who had a legendary rivalry. It’s a gritty docudrama using notable actors and the narration of Ed Helms to tell the history, with all the small, notable moments included.
This feels like the type of docudrama you would have found on the History Channel about 15 years ago, before it was claimed by aliens. While the stable of actors doesn’t get a lot of scenes to shine, they certainly look the part. The era is rendered with exquisite production values and is a fascinating look into the time period.
American Primeval (2025)
The Western miniseries Primeval is set in 1857 during the Utah War and dramatizes the fight between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Indian tribes already living there. Taylor Kitsch stars in the series as Isaac Reed/Spotted Hawk, a mountain man raised by the Shoshone who tragically lost his wife and son.
Primeval is largely fictional but features several notable events, including the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, which resulted in the death of 120 settlers by members of the LDS. It’s a beautifully shot series with amazing vistas of the American West and contrasts that with the brutal reality of how the West was made.
Frontier (2016-2018)
Frontier was one of Jason Momoa’s many attempts to lead a prestige original drama, where he plays the ruthless warrior type. In Frontier, Declan Harp (Momoa) is a trapper wanted by the Hudson Bay Company. Half-Irish and half-Cree, Declan wants to end Hudson Bay’s monopoly on the fur trade.
His time with the company has convinced him they are engaging in corrupt and illegal activities. The first season of Frontier gets off to a slow start, but by season 2, Frontier really finds its footing. Momoa is fantastic in the lead role, obviously bringing the physicality but also a somber portrayal of someone torn between worlds.
Godless (2017)
The Netflix miniseries show, Godless, is a seven-episode TV show that follows Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), an injured outlaw on the run from his former boss, Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), after he decides he can no longer abide Frank’s actions. He ends up in a small New Mexico town, entirely inhabited by women.
The town of La Belle is primarily run by Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), an aloof widow running a ranch. La Belle became solely populated by women after a mining accident killed all the men. Now, with Frank coming for them, Alice and the women must show why they’ve found life out West easier when there aren’t men to contend with.
Territory (2024)
The 2024 neo-Western series Territory is like an Australian version of Yellowstone, which does a lot of what Yellowstone does, only better. The show is set in Marianne Station, the largest cattle station in the world, located in Northwest Territory in Australia. For generations, it’s been owned by the Lawson family dynasty.
The Lawson’s are beset by the government, rival ranchers, interest groups, gangsters, and local Australian Aboriginal groups looking to get a piece of the valuable land. It’s a thrilling series with lots of moving parts, but Territory‘s understanding of the Aboriginal plight makes it a particularly moving series.
Song Of The Bandits (2023)
If you want another country’s take on the Western genre, check out Song of the Bandits, a South Korean series set in Korea in the 1920s. During this turbulent period of Japanese occupation, many Koreans fled across the Tumen River to Gando, a parcel of China where the Koreans banded together to protect themselves.
The series is the lead-up to the Gando Massacre, a real-life mass murder committed by the Japanese military on the residents of Gando. Kim Nam-gil stars as Lee Yoon, a former Japanese soldier who goes to Gando and becomes a bandit to protect the people there. It’s an epic and ultimately sad tale that shows how Western tropes go beyond America.
Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
Breaking Bad is arguably one of the greatest shows ever. A crime drama, gangster series, and tragic comedy, Breaking Bad is also a textbook neo-Western, despite the lack of 10-gallon hats. The series follows what happens when a mild-mannered chemistry teacher learns to cook and sell meth.
The series is filled with Western tropes, including the American West desert setting of New Mexico. But there are more examples than that. Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a classic Western anti-hero, almost William Munny-like in Unforgiven. The standoffs, sometimes literally in Mexico, are emblematic of the show’s connection to the genre.
