Yahoo Lifestyle How 'Landman' Became the Most Popular Show on Paramount+
Considering just how popular the Yellowstone franchise is, you might be shocked to learn that Taylor Sheridan’s newest series, Landman, is the #1 most-viewed Paramount+ original. Of course, if you tuned into the 10-episode inaugural season, you know exactly what made it rise the ranks. From Billy Bob Thornton’s compelling performance as oil crisis exec Tommy Norris and Jon Hamm’s role as oil tycoon Monty Miller, to the crazy-fun dynamic between Ali Larter and Michelle Randolph’s characters (the mother-daughter duo of Angela and Ainsley Norris) and forbidden romance between Paulina Chávez and Jacob Lofland’s characters (Ariana and Cooper Norris), there are so many entertaining storylines to follow. And then there’s the fact that life in the patch is a wild ride to begin with. Suffice to say, it’s impossible to get bored while streaming this standout series. Now that the Season 1 finale has aired, though, you might be looking for something to fill your time. One option? Listen to Christian Wallace’s Boomtown, the podcast that inspired the show. Or, better yet, keep reading to hear from Christian himself.
"I am very proud, you know; I'm very happy with how it came out," Christian tells Country Living of the television adaptation of his podcast, which details the geopolitics of the historic West Texas oil boom in the Permian Basin—something he’s well acquainted with, as he worked in the patch before embracing his passion for storytelling full-time.
"Who knows why we're called to do things; I just know that since I was a little kid, I’ve loved words and writing," Christian shares. "Whenever I was a roughneck, I was the guy sitting there in my greaser with my notepad just kind of jotting down notes." The crew dynamics, the individuals on each rig, the little cafés out in the middle of nowhere—he recorded it all. And it ultimately turned into not only the basis for Landman, but one of the props, too.
"I had this notebook—it's this long thing that you use for oil companies to tally your piping and stuff—I would write all these little scenes… here we are 11 years later and we're seeing [them] on the screen, and that little notebook is in the show," Christian reveals, noting that James Jordan’s character, Dale Bradley, takes notes in it throughout the series.
Christian has examined life in the patch for over a decade. Since 2013, he’s studied not only the geopolitics of the West Texas oil boom but also the unique characters that take part in it. In doing so, he realized that most coverage of the historic boom centered on the economic and environmental repercussions of the industry, with little mind paid to the voices of the Texans involved. And so he set out to create a podcast to fill the void.
"A podcast is a way that you can tell a story but also allow people to tell their own stories," Christian says of his decision. "You hand the mic over and they talk. And allowing people to hear those voices, I thought that that was a compelling story—but I truly didn’t know if an audience would show up for it when I was out there, sticking a shotgun mic in front of cowboys and roughnecks. But thankfully, for whatever reason, right off the bat, Boomtown found a footing."
Little did he know, that podcast would one day become one of the most revered shows on television.
"It's a little cliché, but I hope it's both entertaining and enlightening," Christian says of Landman. "I hope that people have a good time with these characters in this place, but beyond that, I hope that [it raises] questions about how this industry and oil booms impact not just the people there, but all of us. I think that this seriously leads to a lot of interesting conversations."
You can stream the first full season of Landman on Paramount+. (Psst: While Paramount+ hasn’t confirmed Season 2, Demi Moore hinted at filming for such at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. Fingers crossed!)
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