If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, The Virginian is available in the US on Philo right now. 9 seasons in, and the quality has not slipped. With 35 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Doug McClure sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Philo.

The Virginian arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The Virginian takes its time building the world its characters inhabit, and the patience pays off. The Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory of the 1890s is owned in sequence by Judge Henry Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Colonel Alan MacKenzie. It is the setting for a variety of stories, many more based on character and relationships than the usual western. Doug McClure and James Drury lead a cast that treats the material with real seriousness. Across 9 seasons (1962–1971), it never lost the thread that made it worth starting. The performances in The Virginian do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, The Virginian delivers. Viewers who responded to Bonanza will find a lot to like here too. 9 seasons is a lot, but the quality holds all the way through. Doug McClure is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.

The Virginian wrapped up in 1971 — and 9 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.