A Classic Clint Eastwood Western TV Show Is Streaming For Free

Clint Eastwood is mostly known for his work on the big screen, but "Rawhide" is arguably just as influential as any "Dollars" trilogy or Dirty Harry outing. That's certainly true in terms of Eastwood's own rise to fame; "Rawhide" not only started the actor on his journey to becoming a director, but the Western series also saved his acting career. Now, you can watch the show for free, as "Rawhide" is currently streaming on Pluto TV.

In its time, "Rawhide" was big, running for eight seasons and 217 episodes from 1959 to 1965. The CBS series saw a young Eastwood portray ramrod Rowdy Yates, who, alongside Eric Fleming's trail boss Gil Favor, traversed the Old West of the 1860s, riding from San Antonio, Texas, to Sedalia, Missouri, and becoming an invaluable part of Favor's crew. There was plenty of danger and drama along the way, but Eastwood stayed with the show throughout its entire run, with Yates ultimately taking over as trail boss in the eighth and final season.

This was Eastwood's first main role on a TV series after several years of bit parts suggested his career might flame out before it had a chance to really begin. "Rawhide" gave Eastwood the security he needed to take film roles and progress from TV star to household name. His starring roles in 1964's "A Fistful of Dollars" and its two sequels (both of which debuted as "Rawhide" was coming to an end) helped propel Eastwood to stardom. Without his CBS series, however, the actor might never have been offered the role of The Man with No Name, let alone feel secure enough in his career to accept the lead in a low-budget Spaghetti Western. But that's not the only thing that makes "Rawhide" worth checking out in the streaming era.

In a time where streaming subscriptions have become far too expensive, to the extent that buying Blu-rays and DVDs is actually cheaper than streaming, watching a classic series in its entirety for free is actually a pretty sweet deal. It's also a good way of fending off the never-ending scroll through various streaming interfaces until you give up on finding something to watch (or, even worse, abandon all hope and join the masses streaming "Jonah Hex" on HBO Max). "Rawhide" is a much safer bet than any of those options; in addition to providing a fascinating look at a young Clint Eastwood, it also offers more insight into a genre that has never truly gone away for good (even today, where it persists in a post-Taylor Sheridan world).

"Rawhide" began as a fairly straightforward series about cowboys doing battle with all manner of outlaws and bandit gangs. But while it's often remembered in such simplistic terms, the show actually underwent several transformations, with creator Charles Marquis Warren departing the series after its third season to work on what would prove to be his next success, "The Virginian." Following his departure, "Rawhide" began to break out of its more traditional Western action and focus more on character-driven stories. By the time it was canceled mid-season in 1965, the show was arguably verging on becoming a revisionist Western series, thereby encapsulating the evolution of the genre in microcosm with its eight seasons.

"Rawhide" also featured some of the most impressive guest stars of the era, from Dean Martin to Burgess Meredith, and has one of the most memorable theme songs of all time. So, if you're looking for something to distract from the streaming effluent, "Rawhide" is right there for the watchin'.