If you're like us, you've already hitched your wagon to "Little House on the Prairie," Netflix's new adaptation of the beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder book of the same name. The Western historical drama, which galloped onto the streaming service on July 9 and has already hit No. 1, faithfully follows that iconic source material, joining the Ingalls family as they establish their home outside the developing town of Independence, Kansas.
But if you've already hurried through all eight episodes with Charles, Caroline, Laura and the rest of the Ingalls crew, don't fret! We've got three more frontier-focused dramas for you to add to your watch list, each packed with survivalist struggles, family dynamics, historical details and epic Western beauty.
Whether you're in the mood for a wholesome family-driven drama or a guns-blazing Western saga, here are three frontier dramas to watch after "Little House on the Prairie."
'Anne with an E'
Similarly based on a much-loved book from our childhoods—that would, of course, be L.M. Montgomery's 1908 classic "Anne of Green Gables"—this Canadian period drama centers on plucky, imaginative Anne Shirley (Amybeth McNulty), a 13-year-old orphan who comes to live with a pair of elderly siblings, Marilla (Geraldine James) and Matthew (R.H. Thomson), in the fictional town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island.
Over the course of three seasons and 27 episodes, the late-19th-century coming-of-age drama follows Anne as she makes a home for herself on the siblings' ancestral farm of Green Gables, dealing with schoolyard bullying, class differences, burgeoning friendships, childhood trauma and small-town life along the way.
Stream "Anne with an E" on Netflix now
'1883'
If you want a less whimsical and more weathered take on the frontier genre, this "Yellowstone" prequel recounts the gritty origin story of the famed Dutton family, following James and Margaret Dutton (played by country icons and real-life couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill) as they flee poverty in Texas and journey west through the Great Plains to seek a better future for their family in Montana. (There, they'll found the ranch that Kevin Costner's sixth-generation patriarch John Dutton runs in the "Yellowstone" flagship series.)
A stark retelling of Western expansion, "1883" also features Oscar nominee Sam Elliott as Shea Brennan, a tough-as-nails cowboy with immense sadness in his past, and dots its sweeping landscapes with some pretty starry cameos, including Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Billy Bob Thornton.
Stream "1883" on Paramount+ now
'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'
Jane Seymour stars as the titular Michaela Anne "Dr. Mike" Quinn in "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," a CBS Western series that ran for six seasons from 1993 to 1998. Following the death of her physician father, the female doc moves from post-Civil War Boston to the rugged frontier town of Colorado Springs, where she'll have to try to win over skeptical townsfolk who are less than open to a working woman, let alone one with progressive, humanitarian ideals.
As Dr. Mike settles into the community, she unexpectedly becomes the adoptive mother of three orphaned children — Matthew (Chad Allen), Colleen (Erika Flores) and Brian (Shawn Toovey) — and enters into a relationship with a rugged mountain man named Byron Sully (Joe Lando).
Stream "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" on Pluto TV now
More from Tom's Guide
- Missing 'Yellowstone'? This neo-Western crime drama is a great replacement — stream it now on Paramount+
- 'Dutton Ranch' review: This new 'Yellowstone' series isn't prestige TV, but it is good TV — and Ed Harris steals the show
- Netflix is taking on 'Yellowstone' with a new Western drama — here's when you can stream it
