Lonesome Dove, the Western many call the greatest, is streaming free
If you've been craving a big, old-school Western that actually earns the hype, here's your cue. Lonesome Dove - the four-part miniseries people still talk about with stars in their eyes - is now streaming free on YouTube.
It's the 1989 epic about two former Texas Rangers in the late 1870s, Augustus "Gus" McCrae and Woodrow F. Call, played by Robert Duvall (movies and tv series) and Tommy Lee Jones (movies and tv series). The setup's simple and timeless: a cattle drive from a dusty Texas town to Montana. The trail's long, the threats are real, and the friendship at the center holds the whole thing together.
Tommy Lee Jones (movies and tv series) lead the cast of Lonesome Dove.
The cast reads like a roll call of greats: Duvall and Jones up front, with Danny Glover (movies and tv series), Diane Lane (movies and tv series), Anjelica Huston (movies and tv series), Robert Urich (movies and tv series), and a young Steve Buscemi (movies and tv series) filling out the world. You feel the grit, you feel the humor, and you feel the years between two men who've seen it all.
Robert Duvall won a Golden Globe for his role in the 1989 miniseries.
Critics and audiences haven't cooled on it either. The series still sits near the top with a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Duvall won a Golden Globe for Best Actor, and the show took home Best Miniseries. That's not nostalgia talking - that's staying power.
Fans keep saying the quiet part out loud. "Lonesome Dove. Probably the greatest western miniseries of all time," one wrote. Another added, "The greatest miniseries of all time. The greatest western of all time - and the book is brilliant." A third put it like this: "Gus and Call are legendary thanks to the incomparable performances from Duvall and Jones, inspired writing and direction, and a super talented cast." Hard to argue.
Jonny Lee Miller (movies and tv series) and David Arquette (movies and tv series) starred in a 1996 adaptation.
Why it still hits
- It's big-hearted without getting sentimental. The danger feels close, and so do the choices.
- Duvall and Jones don't just play partners - they wear the miles in every glance.
- It's a complete story in four parts. No filler, just great television.
Where to watch
Lonesome Dove is currently streaming free on YouTube (availability can vary by region). If you're programming your weekend watchlist, this one's a lock.
The book, the prequel, the ripple effect
The series is based on Larry McMurtry (movies and tv series)'s 1985 novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize the following year. The story's reach didn't stop there: a 1996 prequel brought in Jonny Lee Miller and David Arquette (movies and tv series) to play younger versions of Call and McCrae, opening up the backstory for a new wave of viewers.
Also getting love right now: Life After Life
While we're talking prestige period drama, BBC iPlayer has Life After Life back in the spotlight. Released in 2022, it won over viewers - and reportedly a fair share of tears - and has a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The premise is quietly haunting: Ursula Todd dies the night she's born in 1910… and then lives. Again. And again. Each time, she carries a faint trace of what came before.
If you've been meaning to revisit the trail with Gus and Call, this is your sign. And if you want something modern with emotional punch after the dust settles, you've got options. That's a good week of TV right there.
