10 Most Underrated Neo-Western TV Shows, Ranked

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Josh Brolin as Royal Abbott in Outer Range Season 2.

Kareem is a veteran editor and writer with over 15 years of experience covering all forms of entertainment, from music to movies. He serves as a High Trending List Writer for Collider, covering all things TV. His work has been seen in numerous online publications such as FanSided, AXS, Examiner, Narcity, HuffPost, and ScreenRant.

He first began his professional writing career in 2011 writing political columns for HubPages, gradualaly building his portfolio until he was rewarded with his first paid writing position with News Headquarters in 2013. Since then, Kareem has covered everything imaginable, from writing political news columns for Examiner, reviewing the latest albums for AXS.com, and giving a unique take on sports, food, and the entertainment industry for Fansided.com. He had another online stop at Narcity, covering travel and things to do in his native Florida, before finally bringing his uniquely immense writing talent and voice to Valnet in 2020, first as a List Writer for ScreenRant before taking his talents to Collider in 2021.

During his time at Collider, Kareem has showcased his talented writing style on a number of beats, trailer previews (DOTA: Dragon's Blood) to season premiers (Abbott Elementary), to Lists ranking everything from 80s Sitcoms (which holds a special place in his heart), to classic Disney Channel shows.

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He calls Orlando, FL home.

The Old West has long been a fascinating setting. Be honest, no one reading this has, at one point in time, thought about what it's like to live in that lawless time period, from the simplistic way of life, to the legendary lawmen and outlaws that ruled the rugged landscape. The Old West has long been the subject of countless great Western shows and movies, but there is another form of the Western genre that takes the themes of the Old West and puts them in a more modern, revisionist setting: the neo-Western.

Neo-Westerns, much like its traditional counterpart, still imagines the way of life in the Old West, but it changes things up a bit by bringing it into a more modern setting and timeline that allows it to explore more stories with an Old West bent to them. While some neo-Westerns have shined on television over the years, others have flown under-the-radar, but are just as good, and those are the ones we want to look at. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the most underrated neo-Western shows that brought the spirit of the Old West into your living room.

10 'Mystery Road' (2018–2020)

A man in a cowboy hat aiming a handgun in Mystery Road.

It would be fitting that one of the most underrated neo-Westerns would come from Australia, given its rugged landscape perfect for these types of Westerns. Spun off of Ivan Sen's Mystery Road movie series, the TV version actually takes place in between the two films, the original Mystery Road and Goldstone, and follows a detective (Jay Swan) who investigates the disappearance of two farmhands at an outback cattle station.

While Mystery Road is technically a crime thriller, the series has a lot of Western-ting vibes to it, from the detectives investigating the crime to the setting itself, which is tailor-made for an enthralling series such as this. While lasting only two seasons, and mainly serving as a bridge between the two films, Mystery Road is an underrated neo-Western gem fans of the genre should not pass up.

9 'Tulsa King' (2022–)

Sylvester Stallone, Garrett Hedlund, and Bella Heathcote look over a railing in Tulsa King Season 3.

While many people are just starting to realize just how great Tulsa King is, we can’t help but feel as if this is still one of Taylor Sheridan's most underrated works. Premiering on Paramount+ in 2022, Tulsa King stars Sylvester Stallone as Dwight "The General" Manfredi, a Mafia capo who was released from prison, and is sent to Tulsa by his syndicate to establish territory in the Western city.

However, as he grows to dislike his syndicate, Manfredi begins to form his own empire, which creates a lot of enemies. Tulsa King is a crime drama, but it also takes a lot of its cues from classic Western tropes; the outlaws, the gunfights, the cowboy hats, the Western spirit is alive-and-well here, which makes Tulsa King a neo-Western that should be better appreciated by fans of the genre.

8 'Wynonna Earp' (2016–2021)

Waverly Earp (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) and Wynonna Earp (Melanie Scrofano) holding a gun in 'Wynonna Earp'

There have been plenty of movies and shows that have told the story of Wyatt Earp, the legendary lawman who was involved in the iconic gunfight at the O.K. Corral, where he (and a few other lawmen) killed three outlaws. While Wyatt Earp's story has been adapted plenty of times over the years, it had some thinking: what about his descendants? Well, in 2016, we got a show that centered around his great-great-granddaughter, Wynonna Earp.

Created by Emily Andras, Wynonna Earp is not your typical neo-Western. This series combines the subgenre with dark fantasy, in that our titular character, played by Melanie Scrofano, battles the supernatural spirits of the outlaws her great-great-grandfather killed. Give the show a lot of credit here: it could have been a more traditional Western, but blending it with dark fantasy makes Wynonna Earp stand out from the pack. If you love Westerns and fantasy, this series may be right in your wheelhouse.

7 'The English' (2022)

Emily Blunt in historic clothing looking to the side in a field in a scene from Prime Video's The English.

While neo-Westerns are mainly Westerns that are set in a modern era, they can also be revisionists as well and still count within the subgenre. Take The English for example, a stellar miniseries starring Emily Blunt that changed just how we viewed life in the late-1800s, this time in Britain.

The English follows Lady Cornella Locke (Blunt), an Englishwoman who heads West in search of the man who killed her son. While Westerns typically focused on outlaws and lawmen, The English took a different turn entirely, and it worked like a charm. Blunt is astounding in the role, and the series is well-written and well-acted. While we don't really talk about The English today, maybe we should, because this was a truly great series.

6 'Too Old to Die Young' (2019)

Miles Teller in a sheriff's uniform looking to the side in Too Old to Die Young.

The best thing about neo-Westerns is how many genres it can fit into, and still keep that Western spirit about them. One of the most underrated was Too Old to Die Young, a Prime Video series that ended way too early for our liking. Created by Nicolas Winding Refn and Ed Brubaker, the surreal neo-Western follows a police officer (Miles Teller) who is caught up in an underworld that's populated with all sorts of criminals, from hitmen to the Russian mafia.

If you'd guessed by now, Too Old to Die Young is a very surreal experience that aims to throw everything at the audience, and dare them to think rationally about it. While that's pretty hard to do, what isn't hard is enjoying what you're being served up, and Too Old to Die Young has something for everyone, from surrealists to Western fans.

5 'Godless' (2017)

When we think of Old West towns, we normally see them run by men, whether they're outlaws or lawmen. Well, Godless, a 2017 neo-Western miniseries made for Netflix, turns this concept right on top of its head. Created, written, and directed by Scott Frank, Godless takes us to a New Mexico town that's populated almost entirely by women.

Roy Goode (Jack O'Connell) discovers this female settlement by accident, as he's injured and is on the run from his boss and mentor, Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels). The women of the town take Roy in, and we see an interesting dynamic play out that we normally don't see in a lot of Westerns. With interesting characters and a great storyline, Godless is an underrated neo-Western gem that is easy to binge-watch on a cold, dreary winter day.

4 'Outer Range' (2022–2024)

Noah Reid as Billy Tillerson wearing a red jacket and hitchhiking in Outer Range Season 2.

What would you do if you suddenly saw a black hole form on your ranch when a mysterious drifter stops by? That's the central premise to Outer Range, the Prime Video neo-Western starring Josh Brolin that molded a compelling sci-fi story filled with Western vibes.

Outer Range follows Royal Abbott (Brolin), a Wyoming rancher who, in the middle of fighting for his land, now has to deal with a mysterious black void in the middle of his land when a female drifter arrives on his ranch. Right from the pilot, the story of Outer Range will command your attention, with solid effects, and characters who easily sell the story. While it was cancelled way too early (it could have benefited from a third season), Outer Range is, without a doubt, an underrated neo-Western that everyone should check out.

3 'Territory' (2024)

Graham (Michael Dorman) and Colin Lawson (Robert Taylor) stand together in 'Territory'.

While Yellowstone is the preeminent neo-Western dealing with family drama surrounding their land, it isn't the only show with this similar premise. Territory, an Australian neo-Western miniseries, is just as thrilling and dramatic as the Duttons were, and a show that, if you're a fan of Yellowstone (like me), you should definitely watch.

Territory revolves around the Lawson family, who owns the world's largest cattle station in Australia's Northern Territory. Like the Duttons of the Yellowstone-Dutton Ranch, keeping the cattle station out of the hands of others is no easy task for the Lawsons. You will get all the drama here, and then some. This family has to battle all sorts of enemies for their land, from mining magnates to gangsters. Territory is Yellowstone times 10, and one you will never forget after the final credits roll.

2 'Song of the Bandits' (2023)

Eon-Nyeon (Lee Ho-jung) confronting Lee Yoon's outlaws in Netflix's 'Song of the Bandits.'

The Australians and Americans aren't the only ones that have the market cornered on great neo-Westerns. One of the most underrated actually comes from South Korea in the form of Song of the Bandits. A miniseries directed by Hwang Jun-hyeok, Song of the Bandits is an awesome series with riveting Western action in a modern setting.

Here, we are taken to Gando, a land of lawlessness during the 1920s, when the Japanese occupied the Korean peninsula. We find the people of Gando banded together to fight for their homeland and expel the occupying Japanese forces. There is a lot of Western ethos in Song of the Bandits, with the theme of lawlessness standing front-and-center. With great action and a compelling story, you will not be disappointed in this neo-Western gem that is oftentimes overlooked.

1 'Dark Winds' (2022–)

Jessica Matten as Bernadette Manuelito, Zahn McClarnon as Joe Leaphorn in a car in Dark Winds.

While the shows that have been mentioned definitely command your attention, if you have time for only one underrated neo-Western to watch, it should be Dark Winds. Created by Graham Roland and based on the Leaphorn & Chee series written by Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds is both a neo-Western and psychological thriller that will have you whiplashed by what you're watching on the screen.

The series follows three Navajo Tribal Police officers, who together patrol the Four Corners area of the Southwest. To say that this area of the country feels like a lonely place is an understatement, as some truly shady and surreal things happen here that the officers have to investigate. Dark Winds is dramatic and full of thrilling moments, all wrapped up in a nice neo-Western package that will make any Western fan happy.