The Best TV Westerns of the 1990s, From ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’ to ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’

Walker Teaxas Ranger with Chuck Norris — Courtesy H&I

What To Know

The 1990s saw several notable TV Westerns, including Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Lonesome Dove: The Series, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and the hugely popular Walker, Texas Ranger.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman was a career highlight for Jane Seymour.
Walker, Texas Ranger was the decade’s most successful TV Western.

Though the golden age of TV Westerns had long passed with shows like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and Rawhide riding off into the sunset, there were still some examples of the genre on television in the ’90s. Some starring faces one would not associate with the genre.

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman starred Jane Seymour as the titular physician. The series, which aired on CBS from 1993 to 1998, centered on Michaela “Mike” Quinn, daughter of a doctor, who followed in her father’s footsteps as a medical professional. After he died, she moved to Colorado Springs, a frontier town wary of a new female doctor. Slowly, she wins them over with her medical acumen.

DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN, Erika Flores, Joe Lando, Jane Seymour, Chad Allen, Shawn Toovey, 1993-1998. photo: Jeff Katz / TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection

Jeff Katz / TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

Though Dr. Quinn became one of the highlights of her career, Jane Seymour has since said she took the role because she found herself millions of dollars in debt from a philandering business manager (who happened to be her husband at the time). Seymour said she would have taken any role, but Dr. Quinn was the first offer she received. Despite this dicey start, she now says the series is one of her favorite roles and one of the most important to her. Dr. Quinn eventually won four Emmys.

Since then, Jane and her costar Joe Lando have tried to revive the show, but with no luck. The duo recently told our sister site TV Insider what the reboot would have looked like.

Then there’s Lonesome Dove: The Series, which ran from 1994 until 95. Not to be confused with the wildly popular miniseries that starred Robert Duvall, the series featured Scott Bairstow as Newt Call as he encountered famous figures of the American West. Fans loved its attention to detail in costumes, set decoration, and time period. Despite positive reviews, Lonesome Dove received low ratings and was canceled.

THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR., from left: Julius Carry, John Astin, Christian Clemenson, Bruce Campbell, 1993-1994.

E.J. Cam/20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

Fox’s The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. was another series that only aired for a single season in 1993. Bounty hunter Brisco County Jr. (Bruce Campbell) was a Harvard Law graduate who found himself hunting an infamous gang who murdered his father. It was a wildly popular cult favorite that also starred John Astin from The Addams Family in several episodes. Campbell recently announced he wrote a Western novella that had fans clamoring for a reboot.

The most popular TV Western of the ’90s was Walker, Texas Ranger, which aired on CBS from 1993 to 2001. Chuck Norris starred as Cordell Walker, a member of the elite Texas Rangers, and the series followed him and his partner James Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.) as they traveled across the state of Texas dealing out justice, often famously with their fists. Walker was raised by his Uncle Ray (Floyd “Red Crow” Westerman) after his parents were murdered when he was young; a long-running theme of the show is Walker hunting down those who killed his mother and father.

Walker, Texas Ranger was filmed in Texas, with many locals being cast as extras and some even getting speaking roles. Norris, himself a Texan, is an honorary Texas Ranger in real life. Chuck Norris died in 2026 shortly after his 86th birthday.

This article appears in the September 2021 Cowboys Issue of ReMIND Magazine. Additional reporting by Karen Ruud.