An outstanding Western series widely regarded as one of the finest in the genre is now entirely free to stream on Tubi, as well as being available on Amazon Prime Video. The show, Hell on Wheels, is essential viewing for fans of Yellowstone and other Western dramas.
A True Story Rooted in History
Hell on Wheels was first broadcast on AMC in 2011 and ran for five seasons until 2016. Sadly, the show ended up going under the radar during its original run. The series was rooted in a true story and chronicled the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad in America, beginning in 1865, shortly after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Hell on Wheels followed a vast array of characters involved in the first transcontinental railroad across the USA, including mercenaries, sex workers and others. The storyline centred on a former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (played by Anson Mount) as he seeks to track down the Union soldiers who slaughtered his wife and young son during the American Civil War.
Critical Acclaim and Viewer Praise
The show also featured Gangs of London's Colm Meaney, rapper and Silo star Common, The Boys actress Dominique McElligott, and the late Tom Noonan, amongst others. Hell on Wheels has garnered widespread acclaim on IMDb, where it holds an impressive 8.3/10 rating.
One viewer left a 10/10 review and declared it the "best TV Western" they'd ever witnessed. They elaborated: "I have watched TV westerns since the mid 1950s, and, after five episodes I can state categorically 'Hell on Wheels' is the best I have seen."
They went on to say in their glowing review: "How could it not be, combining a perfect cast, production values and the classic elements, so far of the masterpiece westerns, 'The Outlaw Josey Wales', 'Dances With Wolves', 'Unforgiven', 'Once Upon a Time in the West' and, to a lesser extent, 'The Searchers'."
Underrated Gem Now Streaming
Another wrote in their 9/10 review that it was a "gritty and exciting Western" as they explained: "I never watched it when it was originally on and thought I'd finally give it a chance after hearing so many great things about it and I'm so glad I did. I binged the entire series in just a few weeks and it was worth every second. It's one of the more underrated shows ever!"
A third hailed it as an "underrated Western" and declared: "The best compliment I can give it is as a big western fan it's actually one of the better western tv shows I've ever seen." Yet another viewer proclaimed that Hell on Wheels was "The last great western nobody talks about".
The reviewer elaborated: "I have been watching westerns my whole life, from the Saturday afternoon classics through Leone, Eastwood and Deadwood, and I am here to state a minority opinion with full confidence: Hell on Wheels belongs in the conversation, and the fact that it usually isn't mentioned is an accident of timing, not quality." Hell on Wheels is available to stream on Tubi for free and on Prime Video now.
