Why 'Deadwood' Still Sets the Bar for Modern Western TV

In a Jan. 29, 2026 piece, Collider’s Erin Konrad argues that HBO’s Deadwood remains the gold standard for modern Western television, outpacing Taylor Sheridan’s popular series such as Landman, 1883, 1923 and Yellowstone. Deadwood, set in a rough-and-tumble 1870s town that actually existed, blends fictional characters with real figures like Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane across 36 episodes.

Much of the drama centers on Sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and his clashes with saloon boss Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), while characters such as Alma Garret (Molly Parker) illustrate the era’s social complications. Konrad notes the series is consistently gritty and raw, balancing adrenaline-driven storylines of murder and illness with quieter character studies.

Deadwood aired for three seasons before HBO announced its cancellation in 2006, but it became a critical darling and Emmy winner that boosted several cast members’ careers. The article contrasts Deadwood’s grounded storytelling with Sheridan’s prestige Westerns, saying some of Sheridan’s shows can feel unrealistic or ungrounded, with certain Yellowstone storylines left unresolved and billionaire characters portrayed as broadly unlikeable.

Konrad writes that Sheridan’s series often lean on bloody fights and surprise deaths for shock value, whereas Deadwood’s twists are presented as authentic, character-serving storytelling.

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