Hallmark took a massive swing with Ride the TV series, and honestly, it felt like they finally found a way to bridge the gap between their "cozy mystery" brand and the grit of a modern Western. Then, they canceled it. Fans were devastated. If you spent any time on social media following the McMurray family, you know the sting hasn't really gone away. It wasn't just another show about horses; it was a messy, beautiful look at grief and rodeo culture that felt surprisingly grounded for a network often criticized for being too polished.
The show followed the McMurrays, a rodeo dynasty in Colorado trying to keep their ranch afloat after a tragic loss. It starred Nancy Travis—who is basically royalty at this point—alongside Tiera Skovbye and Beau Mirchoff. It had everything. Romance? Check. Stolen glances over stable doors? Plenty. The crushing weight of a mortgage? Unfortunately, yes. It felt real.
The McMurray Legacy and What Made Ride Different
Most people expected Yellowstone Lite. That's the easy comparison, right? You have a ranch, you have family drama, and you have cowboy hats. But Ride the TV series wasn't trying to be a crime thriller with horses. It was a multi-generational saga that focused heavily on the women of the ranch. Nancy Travis played Isabel McMurray with a steeliness that felt earned. She wasn't just a "mom" character; she was the CEO of a struggling enterprise.
The pilot starts with a punch to the gut. Austin McMurray, the golden boy and reigning bull riding champion, dies during a competition. This isn't a spoiler; it's the catalyst for the entire show.
Usually, Hallmark shows move past the "sad stuff" pretty quickly to get to the baking competitions or the fall festivals. Ride didn't do that. It let the characters sit in their mourning. It explored how Missy, Austin's widow, had to find an identity that wasn't just "the rider's wife." That’s a nuanced take on the Western genre that we don't see often enough.
The show also nailed the technical aspects of the rodeo world. While some TV shows treat bull riding like a backyard hobby, Ride showed the physical toll, the sponsorships, and the sheer terror of being an athlete in a sport where the equipment weighs 1,500 pounds and wants to kill you.
Why fans are still obsessed with the McMurray boys
You can't talk about this show without mentioning Cash and Tuff. Beau Mirchoff (Cash) brought this simmering, "always the bridesmaid" energy to the role of the younger brother living in Austin's shadow. He was the one who actually had the talent but lacked the ego. Then you have Jake Foy as Tuff McMurray. Tuff was the heart of the ranch. He was the traditional ranch hand who also happened to be a talented musician and a gay man navigating a very traditional world.
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His relationship with Julian (played by Vasilios Filippakis) provided some of the most genuine moments in the series. It wasn't handled as a "very special episode." It was just part of the fabric of the ranch. That kind of representation matters, especially in a genre that has historically been pretty exclusionary.
The Cancellation Heartbreak
So, why was Ride the TV series canceled? It’s the question that keeps the "Save Ride" hashtags alive.
The numbers weren't terrible, but they weren't The Way Home numbers. Hallmark had two big scripted pushes that year. The Way Home (the time-traveling family drama) became a breakout hit. Ride, while pulling in a respectable audience, was significantly more expensive to produce. Filming with animals is a logistical nightmare. You have trainers, safety protocols, and the sheer unpredictability of horses.
The network eventually pulled the plug after ten episodes.
It left so many threads hanging. We never got to see the full resolution of the "Frontier" sponsorship drama. We didn't see if Cash would finally step out of his brother's shadow on his own terms. And most importantly, the slow-burn tension between Cash and Missy was left right on the edge of a breakthrough. It felt like a book that had its last three chapters ripped out.
The CW "Almost" Save
There was a glimmer of hope when The CW picked up the broadcast rights for the first season. Fans thought, "This is it! The CW loves teen and young adult dramas; they’ll order a second season!"
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It didn't happen.
The CW was going through its own massive identity crisis at the time, shifting away from expensive scripted content toward unscripted shows and cheaper imports. Ride fell through the cracks of corporate restructuring. It’s a common story in the streaming era, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating for the viewers who invested ten weeks into the McMurray family.
Realism vs. TV Magic: The Rodeo Elements
If you grew up around horses, you know how badly Hollywood usually messes it up. They use the wrong tack. The riders have terrible form. The horses make "whinny" noises every three seconds for no reason.
Ride the TV series actually tried.
The production filmed in Calgary, Alberta, which is basically the heart of Canadian rodeo country. They used real stock and real riders for many of the background shots. Tiera Skovbye actually looked like she knew her way around a saddle. The show touched on the "shanking" and the politics of judging in rodeo, which added a layer of legitimacy.
It also didn't shy away from the financial reality of ranching. In 2026, the idea of a family-owned ranch surviving on just grit and hard work is a fantasy. The McMurrays were constantly looking for "outside" revenue. They were looking for brand deals. They were looking for ways to monetize their legacy. That’s the modern West. It’s not just about herding cattle; it’s about marketing.
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Comparing Ride to Other Modern Westerns
- Yellowstone: Much darker, more violence, focuses on power.
- Heartland: Much softer, longer-running, focuses on healing animals.
- Ride: Sits right in the middle. It has the stakes of Yellowstone with the heart of Heartland.
What We Missed in a Potential Season 2
If the show had continued, the focus likely would have shifted toward the international rodeo circuit. There were hints that the McMurrays were going to have to expand their reach to keep the ranch.
We also missed the fallout of the secrets Austin was keeping. One of the best parts of the writing was the slow realization that the "perfect" son had some serious skeletons in his closet. Dealing with the "de-sanctification" of a dead loved one is heavy stuff. It would have forced Isabel to reckon with her own parenting and Missy to reckon with her marriage.
And let's be real—we all wanted to see Tuff's music career take off.
How to Watch Ride Now
Even though it’s gone, the show hasn't disappeared. You can still find it on Hallmark Movies Now, and it pops up on various VOD platforms like Amazon and Apple TV.
If you’re a fan of Westerns but you’re tired of the "everyone is a criminal" trope that seems to dominate the genre lately, it is absolutely worth the ten-hour investment. It’s a "comfort watch" that actually has some teeth.
Actionable Insights for Fans of the Genre
If you finished Ride the TV series and have a McMurray-sized hole in your heart, here is what you should do next:
- Check out the Calgary Stampede footage. Since the show was filmed in that region, watching the actual professional rodeo footage gives you a great sense of the world the creators were trying to build.
- Follow the cast on social media. They remain very vocal about their love for the show. Jake Foy and Tiera Skovbye often share behind-the-scenes memories that offer a bit of closure.
- Watch "The Way Home." If you liked the family dynamics of Ride, Hallmark's other major drama carries a similar emotional weight, even if the setting is completely different.
- Look into the "Save Ride" campaigns. While a revival is unlikely at this point, the fan-made content and petitions are great places to connect with the community.
- Support small-scale Western creators. The genre is having a moment, and supporting indie authors or smaller productions helps prove to networks that there is an audience for stories that don't rely on explosions or gunfights.
The McMurrays might not be coming back to our screens next Sunday night, but they left a mark on the genre. They proved that you can tell a story about the West that is both tough and tender. Sometimes, one season is all you get, and while that's a bummer, it's better than not having met them at all.