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.
Some shows starred some big names in Hollywood, such as James Garner in 'Maverick'. Many news stars were born too. Two great action heroes of the Seventies made their name in Fifties television Westerns. One was Clint Eastwood, who was in the cast of 'Rawhide'. The other was 007 himself, Roger Moore, who was had a lead role in the short-lived 'The Alaskans'.
The Sixties was a good time for the Western on television too. Shows such as 'Gunsmoke' and 'Bonanza', which both started in the Fifties, carried on throughout the decade. Popular new shows included 'The High Chaparral'. 'The Big Valley' had a cast that would become big names too, such as Barbara Stanwyck, Lee Majors and Linda Evans.
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.
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'.
The Western has been finding renewed popularity since the arrival of the twenty-first century. While most of these more recent shows can't really be called classics yet, one that made history was 'Firefly', created by Josh Whedon. 'Firefly' was the first real space Western, which combined everything that people love about traditional Westerns with a futuristic, outer-space setting. It has a cult following and its fans, who call themselves Browncoats, are as loyal as Trekkies are to 'Star Trek'.
To watch Western classics online, you only need to find a site that will allow you to stream episodes. Some sites even specialize in the genre. You may have to pay a small fee. Remember though to prepare a dish of cowboy beans before you sit back and relax with some old-time entertainment.
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.
Some shows starred some big names in Hollywood, such as James Garner in 'Maverick'. Many news stars were born too. Two great action heroes of the Seventies made their name in Fifties television Westerns. One was Clint Eastwood, who was in the cast of 'Rawhide'. The other was 007 himself, Roger Moore, who was had a lead role in the short-lived 'The Alaskans'.
The Sixties was a good time for the Western on television too. Shows such as 'Gunsmoke' and 'Bonanza', which both started in the Fifties, carried on throughout the decade. Popular new shows included 'The High Chaparral'. 'The Big Valley' had a cast that would become big names too, such as Barbara Stanwyck, Lee Majors and Linda Evans.
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.
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'.
The Western has been finding renewed popularity since the arrival of the twenty-first century. While most of these more recent shows can't really be called classics yet, one that made history was 'Firefly', created by Josh Whedon. 'Firefly' was the first real space Western, which combined everything that people love about traditional Westerns with a futuristic, outer-space setting. It has a cult following and its fans, who call themselves Browncoats, are as loyal as Trekkies are to 'Star Trek'.
To watch Western classics online, you only need to find a site that will allow you to stream episodes. Some sites even specialize in the genre. You may have to pay a small fee. Remember though to prepare a dish of cowboy beans before you sit back and relax with some old-time entertainment.
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