In June 2018, a neo-Western premiered on the Paramount Network that would revitalize the genre. That show was called Yellowstone,

created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, snagging the iconic Kevin Costner to lead a talented, stellar cast. The series takes place in

Montana and follows John Dutton (Costner) as he and his family, the overly ambitious Jamie (Wes Bentley) and the smart, loose cannon

 

 

Beth (Kelly Reilly) try to defend their ranch from those trying to poach it away from them — from the Indian reservation that wants to transform the Yellowstone-Dutton Ranch back to its pristine, original form, to a global conglomerate that wants to transform the land into a modern paradise for tourists. While trying to fight off those who want their land, the Duttons have to contend with their own family issues.

 

 

In the 1950s, Western shows were just gaining popularity, and one show that many viewers tuned into week-after-week was Bonanza. The NBC show, which premiered in 1959, is one of the longest-running Western shows of all-time, and watching just one episode of this legendary series, you’ll quickly see why it had so much staying power.

 

 

Set in the 1860s, Bonanza follows the Cartwright family, a wealthy clan who lives in Virginia City, Nevada during the Gold Rush era. That little gold nugget of information is important, because the show is basically centered on mining, especially silver ore, which was under the town of Virginia City and was discovered in 1859. Bonanza has all the Western tropes that one would love, and its opening theme is iconic in TV history. Notable for being one of TV Guide’s 50 Greatest Shows of All Time, Bonanza is certainly one of the best Westerns ever.

When you think about how the Western genre on television came to be, you have to trace its roots back to The Lone Ranger, which brought popularity to Western TV shows and was ABC’s first bonafide ratings hit. Starting out as a popular radio series, The Lone Ranger made the jump to television in 1949, and saying it was an instant hit is a drastic understatement.

The Lone Ranger follows a group of Texas Rangers who get ambushed, and all are nearly killed, except one, who is known as “The Lone Ranger” (John Hart for 52 episodes, Clayton Moore for 169 episodes), and teams up with Tonto (Jay Silverheels), a Native American who saved and nursed The Lone Ranger back to health. Much like Bonanza, The Lone Ranger helped popularize Westerns on TV, which was just coming into the mainstream. The episodes are exciting, and the characters are iconic. Unlike Yellowstone, The Lone Ranger is more friendly for families, which makes it a better watch for TV viewers who want to introduce Westerns to the little ones.