Women's Health October 6, 2025 0 Comments

Uncover the Timeless Thrills: Why Classic Westerns Are Making a Powerful Comeback This Week!

Ever wonder why Westerns still wrangle their way into our hearts long after the dusty trails have been staked out? WEST—Western Entertainment Series Television—is riding back into town, and not just with any old programming, but a treasure trove of classic shows that remind us why this genre galloped through primetime for decades. Whether it’s the iconic Marshal Matt Dillon standing tall in Dodge City on Gunsmoke or the complex codes of honor tested in Have Gun, Will Travel, these tales do more than entertain; they carve out timeless stories of grit, justice, and the raw edges of frontier life. For anyone who’s ever been drawn to the shootouts, the sprawling landscapes, or the moral puzzles of the Old West (myself included), WEST’s lineup is a digital campfire where new fans and seasoned riders alike can gather and relive television’s golden age of Westerns. So, saddle up because this week’s schedule is packed tighter than a stagecoach bound for Dodge City, ready to showcase the full range of Western drama, action, and that lingering spirit of the frontier we just can’t seem to escape. LEARN MORE

WEST—Western Entertainment Series Television—continues to saddle up for its debut month with another week of classic programming that showcases the depth and range of TV’s most enduring genre. For three decades, Westerns dominated the primetime schedule, shaping the image of frontier justice and rugged individualism for generations of viewers. From landmark dramas like Gunsmoke and Bonanza to character-driven gems like Have Gun, Will Travel and The Virginian, the genre offered stories that balanced action with moral dilemmas, often set against a backdrop of sweeping landscapes and small-town struggles.

For longtime fans and first-time viewers alike, WEST’s lineup continues to capture the spirit of the frontier, making the channel a true destination for those who want to rediscover television’s golden age of Westerns.

The best of the WEST Channel this week

Sunday, Oct. 5 – Gunsmoke

3:00 PM – “The Wreckers” — Kitty fools outlaws by having Matt pose as their injured leader.
4:00 PM – “Cattle Barons” — Feuding ranchers head to Dodge for a showdown.
5:00 PM – “The Prodigal” — Two brothers hunt their outlaw father’s killer.
6:00 PM – “Vengeance, Part 1 & 2” — A land baron’s rustling charges lead to murder and revenge.
8:00 PM – “The Hat” — A Texas cattleman seeks justice for his son’s death.
9:00 PM – “Hard Lucky Henry” — Festus wrestles over gold coins in a family feud.

Monday, Oct. 6

Have Gun, Will Travel

11:00 AM – “The Reasonable Man” — Paladin prevents a duel between a rancher and his foster son.
11:30 AM – “The High Graders” — Paladin uncovers a murder and mining swindle.

Wanted: Dead or Alive

11:00 PM – “Sheriff of Red Rock” — Josh exposes a crooked bounty racket.
11:30 PM – “Die by the Gun” — Killers hijack Josh’s stagecoach.

Tuesday, Oct. 7

Daniel Boone

7:00 AM – “Cry of Gold” — Boone survives a murder plot with unexpected help.

The Big Valley

8:00 AM – “Winner Lose All” — Heath’s romance is tested by a land feud.

The Restless Gun

1:00 AM – “Silver Threads” — Bonner suspects a robber hiding behind a song.
1:30 AM – “The Gold Buckle” — Bonner confronts brothers posing as lawmen.

Wednesday, Oct. 8 – The Virginian

12:00 PM – “Duel at Shiloh” — A drifter’s free spirit sparks deadly conflict
1:45 PM – “The Exiles” — A dance-hall singer fears for her life after befriending the Virginian.

Thursday, Oct. 9 – The Adventures of Jim Bowie

2:00 AM – “Osceola” — Bowie faces the Seminole chief in a knife-versus-lance contest.
2:30 AM – “Masters of Arms” — Bowie aids a swordsman caught in family scheming.

Friday, Oct. 10 – Bonanza

7:00 PM – “The Gunmen” — Joe and Hoss are mistaken for outlaw brothers.
8:00 PM – “The Fear Merchants” — The Cartwrights fight prejudice to save their friend.

Highlights for Sunday, October 5

GUNSMOKE, from left: Dennis Weaver, James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake on set (1961)Gene Trindl/TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

Gunsmoke (1955–1975), starring James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon alongside Dennis Weaver, Milburn Stone, and Amanda Blake, remains television’s quintessential Western, set in Dodge City where Dillon enforces law and order against outlaws and drifters on the 1870s frontier. WEST devotes Sunday to a marathon of episodes beginning at 3:00 PM with “The Wreckers,” where Kitty cleverly convinces Matt to pose as an injured outlaw, tricking the man’s gang into believing they can extort Dodge in exchange for his life; at 4:00 PM, “Cattle Barons” follows feuding ranchers headed to town for a showdown; and at 5:00 PM, “The Prodigal” finds two brothers seeking the back-shooting killer of their outlaw father.

From 6:00 to 7:00 PM the two-part “Vengeance” unfolds, with cattle rustling accusations leading to murder, maiming, and a violent spiral of revenge before Matt is forced to stop the bloodshed. At 8:00 PM, “The Hat” pits Texas cattleman Red Conniston against Clint Sorils, the man who killed his son, and at 9:00 PM, the lighter “Hard Lucky Henry” sees Festus in a comic struggle to return a box of gold coins to Dodge while feuding clans fight to steal it for themselves.

Highlights for Monday, October 6

HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL, Richard Boone 1957-63Courtesy the Everett Collection

Have Gun, Will Travel (1957–1963) stars Richard Boone as Paladin, a cultured but deadly gunfighter who operates out of San Francisco’s Hotel Carlton, accepting assignments across the frontier that test both his intellect and his moral code. Monday brings two adventures: at 11:00 AM, “The Reasonable Man” finds Paladin hired to keep a rancher and his foster son from killing each other in a duel; followed at 11:30 AM by “The High Graders,” where Paladin investigates the suspicious death of a miner and uncovers a swindle involving a supposedly worthless gold mine.

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE, Steve McQueen, on set, (Season 1, 1959)TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection

Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958–1961) showcases Steve McQueen as bounty hunter Josh Randall, a laconic drifter with a cut-down Winchester rifle who walks a fine line between law and outlaw. At 11:00 PM, “Sheriff of Red Rock” has Josh bushwhacked by bounty hunters working with a corrupt sheriff who will do anything to keep their racket alive; then at 11:30 PM, “Die by the Gun” finds Josh caught on a stagecoach hijacked by two sadistic killers with a young prisoner’s fate hanging in the balance.

Highlights for Tuesday, October 7

DANIEL BOONE, Fess Parker, 1964-1970.Carl Frith / TV Guide/ TM & Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Collection

Daniel Boone (1964–1970) starred Fess Parker as the legendary frontiersman leading settlers through the wilderness during the Revolutionary era, balancing exploration with clashes against hostile forces. At 7:00 AM, “Cry of Gold” follows a scheme to seize Boone’s land that takes a twist when the hired killer becomes Boone’s ally.

THE BIG VALLEY, Lee Majors, Peter Breck, Barbara Stanwyck, Charles Briles, Linda Evans, Richard Long, 1965-69.Ivan Nagy/TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

The Big Valley (1965–1969) turns its focus to the Barkley clan, with Barbara Stanwyck as matriarch Victoria and Lee Majors as Heath. In “Winner Lose All,” airing at 8:00 AM, a land dispute pits the Barkleys against a Hispanic family whose daughter Maria falls in love with Heath, only for her father to oppose the match by using the conflict to force them apart.

THE RESTLESS GUN, John Payne, 1957-59Courtesy the Everett Collection

The Restless Gun (1957–1959) starring John Payne as wandering gunfighter Vint Bonner. At 1:00 AM, “Silver Threads” has Bonner suspecting that a friendly guitar player may actually be a murderous robber, with the giveaway being the tune “Silver Threads Among the Gold.” At 1:30 AM, “The Gold Buckle” finds Bonner crossing paths with two brothers posing as lawmen who are, in fact, stage robbers hiding behind false authority.