jeudi 23 octobre 2014

Relive A Bygone Era When You Watch Classic TV Westerns Online

By Young Lindsay


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.

During the Seventies, most of the old shows were cancelled. The traditional Western's gun-slinging, macho values didn't fit in with the new era's more gentle spirit. There were still some popular shows, including the miniseries 'How the West Was Won'. However, the Western now tended to have a hero with a softer side, such as the gentle giant Grizzly Adams, or they would have a modern setting or a stronger focus on family.

The Western genre tends to be very male-oriented and women normally have small, supporting roles. There were two notable exceptions, though. In the Seventies, 'Little House on the Prairie', with 'Bonanza' star Michael Landon, made a household name of the young Melissa Gilbert, who played the main character. Former Bond girl Jane Seymour played a strong female role model in 'Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman' in the Nineties.

While the Western has become more popular again in recent decades, the one that became an instant cult classic had a serious twist. 'Firefly' combined two popular genres to become a 'space Western'. It features outlaws, horses and the taming of wild territories but those new lands are on different planets. 'Firefly' generated a very loyal fan base known as Browncoats and is a favorite of Sheldon Cooper of hugely popular sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory'.

You'll be able to stream many of the most popular Westerns online. Some sites will charge a small membership fee while others are free of charge. All you need to do is find a show you'd like to see, cook up some cowboy beans and enjoy a great night in.




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