15 TV Shows To Watch If You Like The Yellowstone Spin-Off Marshals

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” universe continues to grow with the neo-Western’s latest spin-off series “Marshals,” featuring Luke Grimes reprising his role as Kayce Dutton. A prestige procedural with a dash of Dutton, the series has Kayce join up with a U.S. Marshal task force based out of Montana. The story puts the combat veteran in the middle of action-packed criminal investigations while maintaining his allegiance to Broken Rock Reservation. “Marshals” has been renewed for Season 2 on CBS, ensuring fans will get even more adventures led by Kayce moving forward.

For those who are looking for a good Western set in the modern era, there are plenty that have been produced over the past several decades. And just like the sullen Kayce Dutton, there are also many recent shows with a hardened lone wolf protagonist worth checking out. This article compiles readily available series that tonally fit within the same niche. Here are 15 TV shows to watch if you like the “Yellowstone” spin-off “Marshals” and are looking to keep the thrills coming.

As far as neo-Westerns go, it’s impossible to ignore the legacy and importance of “Justified.” Based on the literary character Raylan Givens created by prolific crime author Elmore Leonard, the show premiered in 2010 on FX. Timothy Olyphant stars as Givens, a U.S. Marshal who is reassigned to eastern Kentucky, a region he grew up in, for his quick-draw behavior. Dispensing his signature proactive brand of justice, Givens takes on various crime outfits around Kentucky, starting with the Crowder family.

Olyphant was relatively fresh off starring in the period piece Western “Deadwood,” bringing a similar lone lawman against a crime-filled community approach to “Justified.” But more than just being set in present day, the FX series gives Olyphant a more assuredly cool character to play, which he does with gusto. Olyphant returned as Raylan Givens in “Justified: City Primeval,” a sequel series that reminded audiences what they had been missing. A worthy adaptation of Leonard’s work, “Justified” is one of the most unflappably cool neo-Westerns around.

Author Craig Johnson’s “Walt Longmire Mysteries” novel series was adapted into the neo-Western “Longmire,” which premiered in 2012. Small-town Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) coordinates closely with local tribal police, working with his best friend Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips). At the start of the show, Walt is still grieving his wife’s death, with his daughter Cady (Cassidy Freeman) helping him move on. The cases that Walt and his new deputy Vic Moretti (Katee Sackhoff) often investigate involve complex dynamics with reservation jurisdictions and criminal figures in the area.

“Longmire” is essentially about a lawman at the twilight of his career, still looking to fulfill his duty but aware he’s getting close to the end of the line. Taylor handles the nuances of this characterization well, best reflected in his performance in the show’s quiet moments and when playing off the supporting cast. That all said, Walt and those close to him are constantly in harm’s way, with the series providing a steady amount of action and mystery to keep audiences engaged. A no-frills neo-Western that has a subtle sense of humor and charm about itself, “Longmire” is an overlooked quality crime drama.

Before he was Aquaman, Jason Momoa starred in the 2014 crime drama “The Red Road” alongside Martin Henderson. Set in the Ramapo Mountains across New York and New Jersey, Henderson plays police officer Harold Jensen, who maintains an emotionally fraught domestic life on top of his demanding job. Momoa plays Phillip Kopus, a member of the Ramapough Lenape Nation who embarks on an ambitious criminal enterprise after being released from prison. This puts the two men on a collision course that threatens to upend their small-town tension between their respective communities.

The core appeal to “The Red Road” is the complicated and evolving dynamic between Jensen and Kopus over the course of the two-season series. The two characters progress from being hardened enemies on the opposite sides of the law to reluctant allies against a common threat. This evolution is juxtaposed by thriller elements that steadily escalate throughout the narrative, providing a real sense of building menace. Short-lived and overlooked, “The Red Road” brings its own unique take on rustic crime thrillers and complex character relationships.

While it may seem like an obvious inclusion, not everyone who’s seen “Marshals” may have seen all of “Yellowstone.” The show centers on the Dutton family ranch in Montana, with Kayce living on Broken Rock Reservation with Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and their son at the start of the series. As the series continues, Kayce takes a more prominent role with his family’s activities, especially as they and the ranch come under multiple threats. For all the external enemies that the Duttons face, the tension between family members remains thoroughly messy, especially involving Kayce’s sister Beth (Kelly Reilly) and adopted brother Jamie (Wes Bentley).

With its blend of rustic action and soap operatic family drama, “Yellowstone” is a modern television phenomenon. While watching the series isn’t necessary to enjoy “Marshals,” it enriches so much of the viewing experience having this backstory. So many of the best “Yellowstone” episodes involve having those mercurial family dynamics and it helps explain Kayce’s state of mind in the spin-off. Fueling a resurgence in neo-Westerns and more bucolic television stories, “Yellowstone” is worth the hype.

While prolific producer David E. Kelley may be known for creating legal dramas like “The Practice” and “The Lincoln Lawyer,” he settles comfortably into rustic crime thrillers with “Big Sky.” The 2020 series is based on “The Highway” novels by C.J. Box and follows a pair of detectives working in Montana. The show’s central duo is former cop Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick) who works alongside her ex-husband’s girlfriend Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury). The unlikely partners solve crimes around the state, including kidnappings and murders, as they sort out their personal lives.

So much of the appeal to “Big Sky” is the evolving dynamic between Hoyt and Dewell across the show’s three-season run. This grounds the series amidst the constant twists and turns as the two women delve into disturbing violent crime investigations. The show builds a solid ensemble cast around its leads, with John Carroll Lynch and Janina Gavankar among the standouts. A sweeping look at law enforcement in the scenic state of Montana, “Big Sky” breathes new life into the crime thriller genre.

The CW’s reboot of “Walker” put a stronger focus on family than its Chuck Norris-led predecessor had to great effect. Jared Padalecki stars as Cordell Walker, a Texas Ranger and combat veteran whose wife is murdered in the series premiere. Returning to the force, Walker is paired with new partner Micki Ramirez (Lindsey Morgan) as they keep Texas safe. Meanwhile, Walker raises his two teenage children as a single parent as the family faces its own conniving threats.

On paper, “Walker” feels like a more family-friendly take on “Yellowstone,” complete with a family ranch dating back to the 19th century. But the show builds its own family-centric story, combining coming-age-of drama through Cordell’s kids with procedural action. Padalecki is as engaging as ever, fresh off starring in “Supernatural,” while the ensemble cast gels together nicely as his character’s family. Though “Walker” was cancelled after four seasons, it got fans deeply invested in the adventures of its titular Texas Ranger.

Game wardens might not be the first profession one thinks of when it comes to neo-Westerns but the 2021 series “Joe Pickett” makes the premise work. The titular protagonist is played by Michael Dorman, who oversees the wellbeing of the fauna in and around Yellowstone National Park. Pickett relocates to Wyoming as part of this assignment at the start of the series, joined by his wife Marybeth (Julianna Guill) and their two daughters. After literally discovering the corpse of a poacher in his yard, Pickett’s subsequent investigation uncovers a conspiracy involving a powerful local family.

“Joe Pickett” takes advantage of its protagonist’s unusual occupation given the crime drama antics that he finds himself drawn into. In contrast to most self-assured and hyper-competent neo-Western leads, Pickett is a man in over his head. Nor is the hero of this story a decided loner, but a committed family man, which plays a prominent role in the series. A gentle subversion of the genre’s common tropes, “Joe Pickett” is a subtly self-aware good time.

Lee Child’s best-selling crime novel series centered on gruff hero Jack Reacher got its own Prime Video original adaptation in 2022. Simply titled “Reacher,” the show stars Alan Ritchson as the titular protagonist as he wanders the country following his military service. Trouble always seems to find the no-nonsense combat veteran, occasionally drawing directly from his past serving in the U.S. Army. With sharp observational skills and operational knowledge matching his sheer physicality, Reacher quickly reminds his enemies of his brutal reputation.

Like its musclebound protagonist, “Reacher” moves with a clear confidence and economically vicious sense of action propelling its stories forward. Ritchson offers plenty of crowd-pleasing swagger to his performance as Reacher, magnetically commanding every scene that he appears in. Beyond its hard-hitting lead, the stories provide crime thriller action with cinematic production values that elevate its numerous set pieces. Lean and mean, capturing the spirit of Child’s novels, “Reacher” is a standout in the Prime Video library.

Admittedly the strangest entry on this list, “Outer Range” took the familiar backdrop of a neo-Western and mixed it with a healthy dose of science fiction. The show has Wyoming rancher Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) discover an ominous otherworldly void appear on his property. This development occurs as the Tillersons, rivals to the Abbott family, take their feud to lethal levels. Royal begins to experience strange phenomena stemming from the void and a mysterious woman named Autumn (Imogen Poots) linked to it.

“Outer Range” presents a sinister mystery of sci-fi proportions, but just serves to distinguish itself further from other neo-Westerns. Beyond this inciting premise, the show provides the bucolic drama and family feuds that comes commonplace for the genre. Making these disparate elements work together is a grounding performance from Josh Brolin as the Abbott patriarch quickly finds himself in over his head. A fun reinvention of what neo-Westerns can be without compromising its tried-and-true genre elements, “Outer Range” deserved a longer run than it got.

A period piece neo-Western in the ’70s, “Dark Winds” is based on the “Leaphorn & Chee” novels by Tony Hillerman. The game is set in Navajo County in the American Southwest, following veteran tribal police officer Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon). Leaphorn is joined by younger officers Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) as they investigate violent crimes around tribal reservation land. This ranges from domestic terrorism to bank robberies and bloody gunfights that challenge the three officers.

“Dark Winds” feels just as atmospheric as a neo-noir as it prominently evokes neo-Western storytelling sensibilities. There is plenty of taut gunplay as Leaphorn and his officers close in on their culprits while the tribal police premise lends a sense of isolation from outside help. Between the moody mysteries, the show delves into the immense toll that the work takes on the trio’s personal lives, especially for Joe. Viewers that haven’t been watching “Dark Winds,” have been missing out on one of AMC’s best shows, consistently bringing solid crime thriller stories for years.

After starring in the acclaimed tearjerker “This Is Us,” Justin Hartley dialed up the action with his subsequent lead role in “Tracker.” Hartley plays Colter Shaw, a rugged survivalist and expert tracker who puts his finely honed set of skills to use for a variety of clients. This ranges from law enforcement and government agencies to private individuals searching for missing people and other lost items, even a kidnapped horse on one occasion. In between Colter’s work, his family and past periodically resurface into his life, including his older brother Russell (Jensen Ackles).

“Tracker” takes full advantage of Hartley’s undeniable talents while providing its own twist on the tried-and-true case-of-the-week formula. This straightforward approach works well, but the overarching narrative, particularly the mystery of who killed Colter’s dad, offers a more compelling plot thread. This is a show that takes itself seriously, but not without having some fun around its stoic protagonist along the way. A fun, action-packed showcase for Hartley with some gorgeous outdoor backdrops, “Tracker” finds a regularly fresh way to stage its procedural format.

The United States doesn’t hold a monopoly on rural crime thrillers and neo-Westerns, with the 2024 series “Territory” providing an Australian perspective on the genre. The show centers on the Lawson family, who run the largest cattle ranch in the world from their sprawling property in Australia. Lawson patriarch, Colin (Robert Taylor), has a complicated relationship with his family, particularly his eldest son Graham (Michael Dorman). The clan faces all sorts of external enemies and schemes to seize their business and land interests, left vulnerable due to their petty squabbling.

“Territory” has loads of talented actors in its ensemble cast, including Taylor and Dornan, who starred in other fan-favorite shows on this list. The cast plays off of each other well, with Anna Torv especially excelling at playing Graham’s wife Emily. Beyond just a change in scenery, the series also uses its Down Under setting well, reflecting the country’s unique cultural nuances. Running for only six episodes, “Territory” creates an engrossing family saga that feels satisfying but all-too short.

Another gruff literary hero to make the leap to television is Alex Cross, the recurring protagonist of author James Patterson’s crime novel series. The books serve as the basis for the Prime Video original “Cross,” with Aldis Hodge playing the police forensic psychologist and detective. The show opens with Cross grieving the recent murder of his wife, mulling taking a leave of absence from the Washington, D.C. police force. This is complicated when Cross is assigned to investigate the murder of a prominent Black Lives Matter activist, placing him in the public eye.

Hodge’s starring performance is consistently the strongest element of “Cross,” at once intensely determined, but not without a wry sense of humor. The second season ups the ante considerably, with Season 2 involving Cross cheating death and chasing a female serial killer. This brings a darker focus to the show which noticeably improves upon the foundation laid by the proceeding season. A riveting thriller with a magnetic lead, “Cross” continues Prime Video’s winning streak in producing original crime dramas.

The complex rivalries between three families in Texas informs the emotional dynamics in the Netflix original series “Ransom Canyon.” The show’s protagonist, Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel), whose life was completely upended by the loss of his wife and son. While searching for the truth about what happened to his family, Staten finds love again with longtime friend Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly). Things get even more complicated when a mysterious cowboy rides into town, unearthing secrets around the community.

“Ransom Canyon” is a dusty soap opera, with a neo-Western backdrop to its storybook romantic story. Duhamel and Kelly both bring a strong sensuality to their on-screen rapport that fuels much of the show’s underlying appeal. At the same time, there are plenty of plot twists and big character moments that the series feels like more than a prestige Hallmark pastiche. A love story with its fair share of surprises and shady figures, “Ransom Canyon” is something of a guilty pleasure.

Fan-favorite actor Morena Baccarin takes center stage for the police procedural “Sheriff Country,” which premiered on CBS in 2025. Baccarin plays Mickey Fox, the sheriff of a small town in Northern California and whose domestic life is especially dysfunctional. Mickey cares for her estranged daughter Skye (Amanda Arcuri), who is recovering from substance abuse addiction, and contends with her legally compromised father Wes (W. Earl Brown). “Sheriff Country” kicks off with a brutal murder mystery as Mickey investigates the death of Skye’s boyfriend, unraveling unsavory secrets about the community.

Family really is the focus in “Sheriff Country,” complementing the standard small-town procedural stakes that comes with its protagonist’s job. Fortunately, Baccarin keeps this from becoming overly dour, bringing a winking charm and sense of humor to the proceedings. With her performance as the centerpiece, Baccarin handles the usual crime-solving action and family drama elements expertly. A completely accessible spin-off from “Fire Country,” “Sheriff Country” fires on all cylinders thanks to its strong lead.