I’m from Oklahoma. Tulsa, to be exact, which was once the “Oil Capital of the World. So I ‘ve known a landman or two in my life. You can recognize those in the old bidness by their swagger and their ostrich-skin boots. They’re slick talkin’ with a parlance mixin’ talk of mineral rights, title documents, maps, leases, and maybe a few cuss words and “thank you, ma’ams” just for good measure.
Some drama. Some salty characters. Fort Worth native Taylor Sheridan has tapped straight into the real-life soap opera of gushers, dry holes, and oversized egos with his streaming series “Landman,” where the drama flows thicker than crude. The Paschal High School graduate certainly scored some black gold with his TV series “Yellowstone,” “1883,” “1923,” “Tulsa King” and now “Landman.”
This popular TV series, which debuted in November 2024, is now producing its second season and again Fort Worth gets a starring role as a backdrop. That means lead actor Billy Bob Thornton has brought the swagger of his character Tommy Norris to the streets of Cowtown, tyin’ up traffic and closin’ down streets. Yes, Fort Worth hot spots like the Petroleum Club, of course, and Rivercrest Country Club are part of the Texas oil sagas. Street closings are posted weekly so regular commuters can avoid the resulting traffic drama. (Visit Fort Worth has a handy Google map of all the filming locations.)
No Complaints
One person who is not complaining about street closures or traffic snarls is Bourke Harvey. Harvey is a Tarrant County restaurateur, and he says “Landman” crew filming around Cowtown has business booming—and he’s not mad about it.
“It’s been really good,” he said. “I know there’s pros and cons with ‘Landman’ with the traffic and all. There’s lots of people complaining, but not only do I not have any complaints, but it’s been good for business.”
Harvey owns Westland Hospitality, the crew behind rescuing some of Cowtown’s taste traditions. At least three of his eateries have had the pleasure of kicking it with the “Landman” crew…