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The first season of 1883 told the story of how the Dutton family got their land as a prequel to Yellowstone.
A second season of the show is already in the makings, this time following the story of lawman Bass Reaves.
While waiting for the second season, there are some great TV shows like 1883 you can binge. They will provide you with your fix of the Old West as you eagerly await the Bass Reaves story.
1. Lonesome Dove (1989)
Lonesome Dove is one of the most beloved western series of all time. The mini-series is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry.
In this grand series, ex-Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call lead the Hat Creek outfit on one last epic adventure.
The group journeys from Texas to Montana, like in 1883, on an eventful cattle drive. The iconic series focuses on friendship, values, and the fading lifestyle of the traditional cowboy.
Lonesome Dove has an IMDB rating of 8.7 and is available to watch on Hulu and STARZ.
2. Hell on Wheels (2011-2016)
Like 1883, Hell on Wheels is set in post-Civil War America in the Wild West. The action-packed show is a must-watch for those who love historical fiction.
Cullen Bohannon is a former Confederate soldier seeking revenge as his wife was murdered at the hands of Union soldiers. Bohannon heads out West on the Union Pacific’s construction of the first transcontinental railroad. His journey takes him to a lawless mobile encampment known as `Hell on Wheels.’
The series follows not only Bohannon but those who lived and died working on the expansion of the railroad.
Hell on Wheels has an IMDB rating of 8.3 and is available to watch on Prime Video, Apple TV, and AMC Premiere.
3. Billy the Kid (2022- )
Billy the Kid is one of the most iconic American outlaws. This show takes place in the 1870s, just a few years before 1883.
William H. Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, was notorious for living a lawless life of robbing and killing. After becoming an orphan at 15, he went on to become a gunslinging cowboy on the American frontier. Gaining supporters and enemies, his name was soon known all throughout the West.
Billy the Kid has an IMDB rating of 7.2 and is available to watch on Prime Video and Apple TV.
4. Frontier (2016)
While not exactly the Wild West, Frontier offers an interesting look at the life of the North American fur trade during the 18th century. This historical drama is action-packed.
Decan Harp is a half-Irish half-Cree Native-Canadian outlaw who wants in on the fur trade business. However, the Hudson’s Bay Company has a monopoly on fur in Canada, which Harp is looking to breach. Lord Benton, on the other hand, is working to maintain the company’s stronghold in the fur industry.
Frontier brings light to a unique time in American history that Hollywood often overlooks.
Frontier has an IMDB rating of 7.1 and is available to watch on Netflix.
5. Godless (2017)
Full of strong, brave women like Elsa Dutton, Godless is a must-watch. This western drama shares many of the same themes as 1883.
Roy Goode is on the run from criminal Frank Griffin, his former mentor and Griffin’s gang. While fleeing, Goode finds refuge in the town of La Belle, New Mexico, which is populated almost entirely by women. When the women hear that the gang is headed toward them, they band together to protect their town.
Godless features many powerful female characters, unlike most traditional Westerns which are often male-dominated.
Godless has an IMDB rating of 8.3 and is available to watch on Netflix.
6. Into the Wild Frontier (2022- )
During the westward expansion of America, rugged mountain men risked their lives adventuring into the new frontier. Into the Wild Frontier explores the historical figures that made the epic journey out West.
Each episode follows a different real-life historical figure. The show looks at the stories of different people such as Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, Jim Beckwourth ,and Kit Carson.
Into the Wild Frontier has an IMDB rating of 8.5 and is available to watch on Peacock and Prime TV.
7. The Son (2017-2019)
The Son has everything you want in a Western period piece. The show is based on the 2013 novel by Philipp Meyer of the same name.
As a kid, Eli McCullough is kidnapped and raised by Commanches. He grows up to become a powerful and ruthless oil businessman in Texas. Despite hardships, Eli thrives to keep his business empire in a challenging world, with hopes to pass it on to his children and grandchildren.
While Eli can be a relentless businessman and father, he strives to keep all his hard work in the family.
The Son has an IMDB rating of 7.4 and is available to watch on Prime Video and Hulu.
8. Westworld (2016- )
If you like sci-fi and Westerns, then Westworld is the perfect mash-up of those two genres. This dystopian science fiction, neo-Western is truly one-of-a-kind.
Westworld follows a fictional, technologically advanced amusement park that is Wild-West-themed. The park is populated by hosts that are androids, allowing rich visitors to live out their wildest fantasies. No matter what the guests’ desires are, they are able to live them out with no consequences.
The hosts are designed not to be able to harm the guests and can’t be truly harmed themselves as they don’t experience pain, or so the park says. However, things begin to change when the androids begin to think for themselves.
Westworld has an IMDB rating of 8.5 and is available to watch on HBO Max, Hulu, and Prime Video.
9. Broken Trail
Broken Trail is a mini-series based on the beloved book by the same name by Alan Geoffrion. The book intertwines two historic events: the British buying horses from the American West and Chinese immigrants being forced into prostitution.
Aging cowboy Prentice “Prent” Ritter and his nephew Tom Harte head out on a simple journey from Oregon to Wyoming to sell 500 horses. However, their travels take a complete change in direction when they save five Chinese girls from a life of prostitution.
After rescuing the women from an undesirable fate, they must protect them from bandits while embarking across the formidable frontier.
Broken Trail has compelling characters and beautiful scenery that will draw you in, just like 1883. It has an IMDB rating of 7.7 and is available to watch on Prime Video.
10. Dominion Creek (2015-2017)
Dominion Creek, also known by the title An Klondike, is an Irish Western series that takes place during the gold rush. Like 1883, it follows a family seeking a new life.
Three Irish brothers journey from Montana to Canada during the Klondike Gold Rush. The brothers settle in the town of Dominion Creek, and each one has his own desire.
Séamus is the first to head out with the hopes of striking it rich, Tom wishes to have control over the family’s mining claim, and Pádraig decides to work at the local hospital.
The brothers meet new friends and romantic interests but also deal with the dangerous individuals of Dominion Creek.
Dominion Creek has an IMDB rating of 6.1 and is available to watch on Prime Video.
11. Deadwood (2004-2006)
Like 1883, Deadwood is a must-watch for fans of Western period pieces. The show is packed full of real-life historical figures including Seth Bullock, Al Swearengen, Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane.
Deadwood takes place in a mining town post-Civil War. The town is lawless, as it has not yet become a part of South Dakota. Due to this, the town attracts all sorts of people, including those looking to get rich on gold and those looking to capitalize on the lack of law.
This exciting show is a great watch for those who love classic Westerns.
Deadwood has an IMDB rating of 8.6 and is available to watch on Hulu, HBO Max, and Prime Video.
12. Cowboys & Outlaws (2009)
Many people enjoy 1883 for the authentic cowboys that are a part of the show. Cowboys & Outlaws showcases some of America’s most iconic cowboys and outlaws.
Each episode of the show focuses on a different iconic historical figure or event. Some of the real-life people the show highlights include Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp.
It also focuses on historical events such as the first cattle drive along the Goodnight-Loving Trail and the development of the town of Abilene, Kansas.
The series is a great watch for history buffs and fans of the Wild West.
Cowboys & Outlaws has an IMDB rating of 8 and is available to watch on Prime Video.
13. The American West (2016)
The American West offers an extensive look at life on the frontier from 1865 to 1890. It shows what the Wild West was like for cowboys, Native Americans, outlaws and lawmen.
The show chronicles different American legends during a time when the country was still developing. The show focuses on historical figures including Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, George Armstrong Custer, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.
As The American West takes place at the same time as 1883, it offers historical looks as to what actually happened during that time.
The American West has an IMDB rating of 7.3 and is available to watch on Prime Video.
14. Strange Empire (2014-2015)
As 1883 shows us, it was not easy being a woman in the Wild West. Strange Empire is a Western drama that focuses on life in the West from a woman’s perspective.
After their husbands’ deaths, three women band together to survive the brutality of the frontier. The women, who live in Janestown, near the Alberta-Montana border during the late 1800s, face many hardships. They work to ward off a mine owner named John Slotter who attempts to force them into prostitution in a brothel he owns.
Strange Empire features fierce, rebellious women in a time when such things were frowned upon.
Strange Empire has an IMDB rating of 6.2 and is available to watch on Prime Video and Apple TV.
15. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993-1998)
Another great show with an iconic female lead, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is a beloved Western drama series. It takes place just before 1883 in 1867 in Colorado Springs.
Michaela Quinn is a wealthy female physician who moves from Boston to Colorado Springs upon her father’s death. As she sets up her new practice, she adjusts to life out on the frontier. She befriends a rugged outdoorsman by the name of Byron Sully and a midwife named Charlotte Cooper.
Upon Charlotte’s death, she takes over raising her three children while also becoming romantically involved with Byron.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman has an IMDB rating of 7.7 and is available to watch on Prime Video.
16. Hatfields & McCoys (2012)
Hatfields & McCoys follows the story of one of the most iconic family feuds in all of American history. The show is set in the 1880s, but unlike 1883, it takes place in southeast America.
Though Devil Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy were once close friends, a bitter feud formed between the two families post-Civil War.
With the Hatfields in Kentucky and McCoys in Virginia, tensions between the families increases, and misunderstandings escalate. The hostilities, which a stolen pig partially caused, continue to escalate and almost lead to war breaking out.
This historical Western drama is great for watching all in one weekend.
Hatfields & McCoys has an IMDB rating of 7.9 and is available to watch on Peacock and Prime Video.
17. Yellowstone
If you haven’t watched it, Yellowstone is a must-watch after 1883. 1883 is a prequel to Yellowstone, and Yellowstone follows the Dutton family in the modern-day.
John Dutton, along with his children, controls the mighty Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in Montana. However, their precious land is highly sought after, and conflicts often occur with a bordering cattle ranch, an Indian reservation, and land developers.
The Dutton family uses a ruthless combination of power, politics, and violence to do whatever it takes to hold onto their land.
With strong characters and captivating storylines, Yellowstone will draw you in.
Yellowstone has an IMDb rating of 8.7 and seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Peacock. Season 5 is available to purchase on Amazon Prime Video or watch on the Paramount Network channel, not Paramount+.