TV Jots

Deadwood Alum Timothy Olyphant Stars

I can’t think of another recent show I’ve looked forward to as much as FX’s intense new drama Justified, which finally premieres tonight, March 16, at 10pm ET. It seemed this day would never get here.

Based on the work of crime author Elmore Leonard, the sure-to-be-a-hit series features Damages and Deadwood veteran Timothy Olyphant in the lead lawman role.

Olyphant plays Stetson-loving Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. When he gets on the wrong side of his bosses thanks to a Miami shooting, Givens is exiled to the one place he hoped never to set foot in again: his scruffy hometown of Harlan, Kentucky, which he fled from at 19 years old. Now Givens’ job focuses on cleaning up the neighborhood and taking out the local criminal trash that rules, all while dealing with the effects of his past on his present.

Olyphant’s co-stars include Raymond Barry (Cold Case) as Raylan’s father Arlo Givens, a lifelong criminal; Joelle Carter (Third Watch) as Raylan’s earlier crush Ava Crowder; Walton Goggins (The Shield) as Raylan’s friend of sorts Boyd Crowder, currently a fugitive bank robber; Jacob Pitts (21) as Tim Gutterson and Erica Tazel (Jericho) as Rachel Brooks, Raylan’s fellow deputies; Nick Searcy (Easy Money) as Raylan’s boss Chief Deputy Art Mullen; and Natalie Zea (Dirty Sexy Money) as Raylan’s former wife Winona Hawkins.

The following promo pretty much sums it all up: In a lawless town where crime is tradition, his justice will be done. Gives me chills!

If you’re a fan of acclaimed yet frequently brutal FX standouts like The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, get ready to add another scorcher to the list. Already critics far and wide are loudly singing the show’s praises.