1980s Western Series That Lasted Just One Season Voted Greatest of All Time
In a modern landscape of TV juggernauts such as Yellowstone and its various spin-offs, one classic series has been voted the greatest of the western genre - despite only ever having one season.
Lonesome Dove, the 1989 miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry, was awarded the #1 spot on The Independent's 12 "Greatest TV Westerns of All Time" ranking, thanks in part to its "ensemble cast with all principals on top of their game," according to the publciation.
Oddly enough, McMurtry, the original author of the story, had penned an unpublished script, intending it as a feature-length film, ideally starring cowboy movie icon John Wayne and fellow Old Hollywood legend, James Stewart. The final result, however, is just as good, if not better, than what the writer initially had in mind, setting the gold standard for westerns and the emerging popularity of the miniseries format in the 1970s-1980s.
Lonesome Dove eventually came to fruition as a four-episode miniseries, with a cast featuring Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Frederic Forrest, and Anjelica Huston - to name a few. Other, now instantly recognizable actors, including Steve Buscemi, Margo Martindale, and Chris Cooper, also appeared on the series in early roles for the stars.
Lonesome Dove follows retired Texas rangers Captain Augustus "Gus" McCrae (Duvall) and Captain Woodrow F. Call (Jones) on their journey into the unknown, as they lead a cattle drive into unsettled territory in Montana, meeting unexpected obstacles - both human and environmental - along the way. Spanning 6 hours, the western earned a colossal 18 Emmy nominations and 5 Golden Globes, with Duvall winning Best Actor for the latter.
Amassing around 26 million viewers in just 4 episodes, Lonesome Dove was, in some ways, an early model of westerns from television's golden age. Like Yellowstone, the '80s series was one of the first to get its own televised universe of sorts, such as the sequels Lonesome Dove: The Series and Return to Lonesome Dove, the prequel Dead Man's Walk, or the spin-off Comanche Moon. For lovers of westerns, the series is a must-see for anyone who wants to see what made the TV genre what it is today.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 2:57 PM.