CRUDE awakening

Yellowstone meets Dallas in a drama revolving around the Texas oil business

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan brings his latest drama to our screens this week. Landman features an all-star cast and is set in the ruthless and dangerous world of the Texas oil industry.

Paramount+’s 10-parter stars Oscar-winner Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, a debt-ridden alcoholic who works as a crisis manager for his old friend, billionaire oil baron Monty Miller (Jon Hamm).

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

Daily duties include everything from greasing the wheels with the police, lawyers and the press to negotiating land rights with Mexican drug dealers – something Tommy does effortlessly while being held at gunpoint in the opening scenes.

‘Tommy is a fixer and a foreman,’ says Thornton, 69. ‘He works with the head guy, but also people out in the field. He checks the wells every day, deals with the landowners, and if there’s an accident on the rig, he’s got to solve that problem and go deal with the lawyers.