In its second season which aired in syndication during the 1995–96 television season, the series was renamed Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years.[4]
Plot
In the series, Scott Bairstow plays the role of Newt Call, taking over the role played by Ricky Schroder[5] in the original 1989 Lonesome Dove miniseries and its 1993 sequel Return to Lonesome Dove. The story follows Call as he leaves home to find adventure in Curtis Wells, Montana. He soon becomes attracted to Hannah (Christianne Hirt), the daughter of local newspaper publisher Josiah Peale (Paul Le Mat). Call also crosses paths with a stranger named Col. Francis Clay Mosby (Eric McCormack),[3] who is revealed to be a former Confederate officer who has taken up a life of crime as his revenge against the Union.[5]
Cast
Season 1 refers to Lonesome Dove: The Series, while season 2 refers to Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years.
The series was filmed in the plains of Alberta, Canada,[2][3] near Calgary.[6] For its second season, the series was renamed Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years, and was retooled for a greater focus on action.[4] The series was cancelled in March 1996, after two seasons, due to low ratings.[7]
Todd Everett of Variety was mostly positive in his review of Lonesome Dove: The Series, praising the script by Stephen Zito and Tom Towler, and the direction by Sidney J. Furie.[3] Chris Willman of Los Angeles Times was more mixed in his review, praising the "luscious Canadian Rocky Mountain scenery", but noting that the syndicated television series shared little in common with its predecessors and lacked "any of the solemn sophistication of the first miniseries".[5]