There’s a new channel showing nothing butclassic Western TV seriescoming to town. What’s more, it won’t cost you a thing. WEST, which stands for Western Entertainment Series Television, is the latest over-the-air national broadcast channel from Weigel Broadcasting Co., the people behind MeTV and Heroes and Icons. TVLine reports that the new channel will broadcast over 30 classic oaters, includingGunsmoke,Bonanza, andRawhide.
In the 1950s and 60s, Westerns were the dominant genre on TV, much as they were at the movie theater. By 1959—a year when there were only three TV networks—there were thirty prime-time Westerns on TV. While the genre began to dry up in the late 1960s, Westerns have proved popular on TV and streaming to this day: just look at the expansive oeuvre ofTaylor Sheridan. New Westerns aren’t the only Westerns getting big viewership numbers, either.Gunsmoke, the longest-running Western in TV history, has recently begun streaming on Paramount+ and Peacock, and has made its wayup the streaming charts. Although the show aired its last episode in 1975, its success proves that there’s an audience for classic TV Westerns; it’s a hunger that Weigel is hoping to satiate with WEST.
What Series Will Be Broadcast on WEST?
Gunsmoke, which chronicles the adventures of Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) as he upholds the law in Dodge City, is one of the marquee series for WEST. It will also featureBonanza, another long-running series about the Cartwright family and their Ponderosa ranch;Maverick, starringJames Garneras charming gambler Bret Maverick;Rawhide, which features a youngClint Eastwoodand others on a cattle drive; andThe Virginian, which featuredJames Druryas the enigmatic ranch foreman of the title. Other series on WEST includeWanted: Dead or Alive, which stars a youngSteve McQueenas a bounty hunter;Have Gun, Will Travel, which featuredRichard Booneas a gunfighter for hire known only as Paladin;The High Chaparral, a relative latecomer to the TV Western craze that centered around a family of ranchers;Wagon Train, a series that helped influence the creation ofStar Trek;The Big Valley, which starredBarbara Stanwykas the matriarch of a family in frontier California; andThe Wild Wild West, a James Bond-influenced series that later inspired a box office bomb, about a pair of Secret Service agents who use steampunk gadgets against Wild West supervillains.
In a statement, Neal Sabin of Weigel Broadcasting said that"WEST will be dedicated 24/7 to showcasing the most beloved and iconic classic TV western series, with a massive library of titles that will make this the premier western network on television." Weigel operates a number of digital broadcast networks, including MeTV, Heroes & Icons, and Catchy Comedy.
WEST willbegin broadcasting nationwide in the fall. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
