These 10 Incredible Western Shows Were Cancelled Too Soon

As the television Western continues to make an impressive comeback, the truth is that this genre has had plenty of shows fall to the wayside over the years. Be it the classic network-based horse operas of the '50s and '60s or the made-for-streaming neo-Westerns of our time, there have been plenty of cowboys, lawmen, and gunslingers who were put to pasture long before their time was up. So, we've compiled a list of some of our favorites.

Admittedly, this won't be a complete or comprehensive list. In fact, there may be some Western TV shows that we forgot to include here. But we've done our best to put together a list of Western projects that we believe were cancelled before their proper time. So, without further ado, here are a few programs still worth watching despite their premature fade outs.

1 'Bat Masterson' (1959–1961)

Even if you didn't know a lick about the real-life historical figure, Bat Masterson was an entertaining Western drama that audiences couldn't get enough of. With Gene Barry as the titular gentleman gambler, NBC knew how to live up to the hype of CBS' Gunsmoke and ABC's Maverick. Of course, the network was also home to Bonanza, the more popular program, and so Bat Masterson was eventually cancelled due to genre saturation.

Bat was unlike some of the other great Western TV heroes out there in that he was a gentleman first and foremost. Though he could shoot, he didn't overly rely on his firearm, and his cane even concealed a secret blade when he got into scrapes in tighter quarters. For three seasons, Barry entertained audiences as the traveling gambler — and the truth is, the show could've easily gone three more.

2 'Joe Pickett' (2021–2023)

Based on the highly popular (and still running) book series by C. J. Box, Joe Pickett was Spectrum's answer to Yellowstone before Paramount+ took over the series in its second season. Following Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett (Michael Dorman), each season expanded on an overarching mystery that put Joe within the crosshairs of whatever new threat had ambled into town. A traditional Western hero in a modern-day setting, it was easy to invest in Joe and his family as they supported one another through thick and thin.

Unfortunately, Joe Pickett was sent off to pasture after its second season, which ended on a minor cliffhanger. It's a shame too, since the novels themselves offered so much more material to pull from had the show been renewed for another season. It's an optimistic alternative to the borderline nihilistic neo-Westerns of Taylor Sheridan, something we need more (not less) of in our contemporary TV landscape.

3 'Outer Range' (2022–2024)

If Joe Pickett was Spectrum trying to cash in on the neo-Western craze, then Outer Range was Prime Video's outlandish attempt at the same. Of course, this show couldn't be further from Yellowstone, as it's a "weird Western" full of sci-fi twists that will make your head spin until you understand them. After Josh Brolin's Royal Abbott finds a black hole on his land, things get real strange for his family — and the whole Wyoming town around him.

Time travel and Westerns don't go together as naturally as cowboys and horses do, but Outer Range makes it work like nobody's business. Though Prime Video cancelled the time-warping drama after two seasons (and on a major cliffhanger or two), it's still one of those shows that's worth watching for the strange and bizarre journey. Brolin and Lili Taylor alone may be worth the effort.

4 'Firefly' (2002–2003)

Okay, Firefly is not your traditional Western, and some might even take issue with it being on this list. Fair enough. Joss Whedon's space Western is not necessarily for everyone, though it certainly weaves together many of the same traditional genre elements alongside classic science fiction tropes. In any case, just about everyone can agree that this Fox drama was cancelled way too soon.

Following the crew of the Serenity, Firefly is basically "what would happen if a band of Old West caricatures were on a spaceship and forced to do criminal jobs to survive." It's a great time, and although the series was followed up by a feature film titled Serenity, 14 episodes really just isn't enough. There's a reason that this sci-fi Western still hits the streaming charts.

5 'The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.' (1993–1994)

Okay, this is our last sci-fi Western combo, we promise! The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. has been largely forgotten nowadays, but this Bruce Campbell-led horse opera was a series far ahead of its time. Not only did the plot involve an orb from the future, but the titular hero often found himself utilizing "futuristic" equipment in an Old West setting. It was certainly an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure, one that lasted only 27 episodes on Fox.

Although Brisco County, Jr. was cancelled due to complaints about violence, compared to some of the other shows on this list, this show is perhaps among the most tame. Campbell proved himself a capable leading man as a Western hero, and although he was a bit non-traditional on the hero front, that was part of what made him interesting. To this day, Campbell would love to revisit the character, and we know why.

6 'The Quest' (1976)

Back before he starred in Westerns like Tombstone and Bone Tomahawk (and long before collaborating with Taylor Sheridan on The Madison), Kurt Russell starred opposite Tim Matheson in the short-lived The Quest. If you've never heard of it, we won't hold that against you. Russell and Matheson played brothers here searching for their long-lost sister. After having been separated themselves for quite some time, they've come back together from two different worlds to reunite their family.

Both Russell and Matheson are great in this series (which began with the pilot film), but the premature cancellation after only a single season meant that they never found their missing sister after all. This soft television remake of The Searchers was ultimately never completed, despite the hard work and effort of those involved. Perhaps Russell will have better luck with his next Western series...

7 'The Dakotas' (1962–1963)

The only official spin-off to come from ABC's hit hour-long Western drama Cheyenne, The Dakotas was the product of a single episode titled "A Man Called Ragan," which eventually became this short-lived series. Starring Larry Ward, Chad Everett, Jack Elam, and Michael Greene, the series was all about the lawmen who stand between good and evil in the Dakota Territory. The problem was, in their sworn duty to protect their citizens, the violent acts on television prompted the network to cancel the series in its prime.

After only 19 episodes, ABC pulled the plug on this series that deserved another shot. Ever as famous as Cheyenne would be, The Dakotas has largely fallen into obscurity. Although, select few still remember Marshal Frank Ragan and his three deputies, who more than deserve their spot within the Western TV canon for their tough grit and endearing on-screen chemistry.

8 'Damnation' (2017–2018)

Created by former Longmire writer-producer Tony Tost, Damnation was a different sort of Western series in that it was set in the 20th century rather than the 19th. Set in the Midwest in the middle of the Great Depression, the series followed a faux preacher (Killian Scott) and a strikebreaker (Logan Marshall-Green) who stand at odds during a local farm strike across Holden County. Although very Western in style and substance, it bends the rules by taking place outside the traditional Old West setting.

A co-production between the USA Network and Netflix, Damnation only ran for a single season before it was cancelled. It's a shame too, as the show's commentary about class, violence, and the dying ways of the West felt profoundly relevant to a contemporary audience. However, while there is a small cliffhanger at the end, the show still largely works on its own, even if there's more work to be done.

9 'The Magnificent Seven' (1998–2000)

A bit more traditional, The Magnificent Seven started as a television remake of the original 1960 film, but it soon grew into something so much more exciting. With a cast that included Michael Biehn, Eric Close, Laurie Holden, Rick Worthy, and Ron Perlman, among others, the CBS drama elevated the material into something thrilling week in and week out. Expanding on the individual backstories of the Seven gunslingers, the show had far more potential than it was able to realize in its two seasons.

Each member of the Seven had such great chemistry with one another, that it wouldn't have been out of the question to assume that this group would've arguably worked better in a big-screen capacity. Yet, the television format (which was more akin to that of the traditional Western shows of the '60s) aided the material by giving each member of the group agency and personality. As one of the most underrated Western dramas, The Magnificent Seven ought to be given another hard look after all these years.

10 'Deadwood' (2004–2006)

Whether you think that three seasons was enough for HBO's masterclass Western or not, plenty were mighty disappointed when Deadwood was cancelled back in 2006. The series was set in the titular South Dakota town at the peak of its mining operation. With an impressive (and quite large) ensemble cast that includes the likes of Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Jim Beaver, and a host of others, it's certainly worth giving a try if you can get past the constant cussing.

As with Firefly, Deadwood eventually secured a feature film continuation that wrapped the whole thing up, though it took nearly 15 years to get there. Still, Deadwood: The Movie was better than nothing, especially since the show was so popular among fans and critics in its heyday. David Milch certainly outdid himself here with this series that so seamlessly blended fact and fiction.