horse opera

American  

noun

1. a television or radio program or motion picture about the Wild West, often presented serially and usually dealing with adventures of cowboys, gunmen, gold prospectors, etc.

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horse opera British  

noun

1. informal another term for Western

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Example Sentences

But also, because of the actor’s reliability, a figure that still felt rooted in the history of the horse opera.

From Los Angeles Times

Alas, “Tumacho,” a horse opera featuring a chorus of cactuses, was the last we heard from the company.

From New York Times

“I met him on one of them horse opera TV deals. I was fascinated with what he was able to do as an actor. I’d never see anything like it.”

From Washington Post

Mr. Maxwell crossed similar terrain in 2007 in his deadpan riff on the horse opera, “Ode to the Man Who Kneels.”

From New York Times

While the novel flouts most of the conventions of the traditional horse opera, the rewards of "Haints Stay" belong to the reader.

From Los Angeles Times