10 Classic Western Shows That Are 10/10 Masterpieces

The article celebrates classic Western television from the 1950s to the 1970s, presenting ten series as masterpieces worth revisiting. It argues that these shows helped define the genre and its familiar heroes, even if individual episodes or later periods were uneven.

The excerpt describes four of the ten: *The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp*, which ran for six seasons and 226 episodes; *Wanted: Dead or Alive*, starring Steve McQueen in 94 half-hour episodes; *The Rifleman*, a family-oriented series with 168 episodes; and *Maverick*, a humorous Western initially led by James Garner. The article highlights their different takes on lawmen, bounty hunters, fatherhood and life on the frontier.