Everyone loves a good, dramatic Western that centers on multiple generations. “Ransom Canyon” fills the void that The CW’s “Walker” left behind with a Texas backdrop, strong familial stories, horses, small-town charm, secrets, grief, and, of course, some good ol’ fashioned Dramatic Romance.
“Ransom Canyon” is essentially Hallmark Christmas movie energy, but make it a Western. Like any good Western, the town is the main character with an ensemble of ranchers, badass women, found family and the kind of lovable drifters you’d expect to find in this kind of wholesome setting.
The feuds are strong and the politics are stronger, but at its core, “Ransom Canyon” is a Western with heart — and it’s not alone. Once you’ve finished binge-watching the Netflix series, here are five shows like “Ransom Canyon” to add to your streaming list.
‘Walker’ (and ‘Walker Independence’
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As far as Westerns with multigenerational plotlines and more than a little heart go, “Walker” and its spinoff, “Walker Independence,” are just about as close as you’ll get to “Ransom Canyon” vibes. Jared Padalecki stars in the original as Cordell Walker, a grieving father who returns to Austin to resume his position as a Texas Ranger.
Of course, family is at the core of this CW drama, which follows three generations of Walkers and their family legacy. Like “Ransom Canyon,” the show has its fair share of town secrets, family feuds and political plotlines, alongside the whole justice angle. It wouldn’t be a Western drama without a number of messy relationships and mildly overdramatic love triangles that unfurl under the stunning Texas sky. And there are horses. A lot of horses.
“Walker Independence” is a prequel that features the recently widowed Abigail Collins (Kat McNamara) as she seeks justice for her husband’s murder in the up-and-coming Texas town of Independence. The show is a brilliantly modern take that still feels authentic to the time, tackling themes of identity, race, gender and sexuality that were prevalent at the time but rarely covered in classic Westerns.
Sadly, both shows were casualties of The CW shakeup. I took “Walker Indepence’s” cancellation pretty hard, as it hits my sweet spot of a modern retelling of history, complete with gunslinging cowboys.
Watch “Walker” and “Walker Independence” on Max
‘The Way Home’
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While “The Way Home” isn’t a Western, the vibes are there — just replace lassoing with a magical time-traveling pond. The series focuses on three generations of women: Sadie Laflamme-Snow’s Alice (the rebellious teen), Chyler Leigh’s Kat (Alice’s mom), and Andie MacDowell’s Del (Kat’s formerly estranged mother).
Like “Ransom Canyon,” “The Way Home” is all about family legacy and complicated romance in what is essentially a family drama wrapped in a compelling, small-town bow. Given that this is an actual Hallmark show, it has that, well, Hallmark warmth that makes audiences feel like they’re wrapped in a big hug.
Of course, the fantasy angle sets the shows apart, so “The Way Home” is the perfect fix for anyone who wants a magic touch with their generational trauma. Yup, Alice discovers a time-traveling pond where she basically becomes besties with her mom in the ‘90s before she was born. It’s as complicated as it sounds, which is what makes it so compelling.
Watch on Peacock and Hallmark Plus
‘Ride’
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Ah, yes. Another family legacy-centric Western — we love to see it. Like any romantic-laced small-town drama, Hallmark’s “Ride” kicks off with a hefty amount of grief after Austin McMurray, the family’s golden boy, suddenly dies.
The McMurray family has spent decades cultivating their status as a rodeo dynasty, so potentially losing their homestead is pretty daunting. The women of the family must band together to save their ranch and protect the family legacy.
As is par for the course with these shows, the small-town setting is once again chock-full of love triangles, small-town secrets, and a soapy level of emotions and grief. Plus, lots of horses.
Watch on Peacock and Hallmark Plus
‘Heartland’
This Canadian show puts the heart in “Heartland.” With 17 seasons, there’s a reason why “Heartland” has stood the test of time. We have another heartfelt, multigenerational family show, folks. Who needs to heal traumatized people when you can heal traumatized horses? Yes, Amy is a magic Horse Girl, and I’m here for it.
There’s grief, authentic drama and “Ransom Canyon”-adjacent emotional arcs to keep hearts (and horses) fed. The rural life of the Fleming-Bartlett family is a little less dramatic and more wholesome than some of its counterparts, which makes for an easy watch.
Watch on Netflix (10 seasons) free on the Roku Channel (15 seasons)
‘Big Sky’
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Take “Ransom Canyon” but make it grittier with … human trafficking and serial killers? As you might imagine by that premise, the family angle is met with some pretty dark secrets in this crime procedural meets pseudo soap opera.
While a lot of Western and family-centric shows don’t dive too deeply into dark subjects and deeply flawed characters, “Big Sky” pulls no punches when it comes to the darker side of Montana.
Though it has a Western feel, the David E. Kelley-created show is more of a crime drama as it centers on ex-cop-turned-private detective Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick). Plus, as a Jensen Ackles stan, I’ll watch anything he’s in, even though his “Big Sky” arc as Sheriff Beau Arien was only 14 episodes.
Watch on Hulu
