How Accurate Is Landman? Co-Creator Explains What's Real And What's Not
Taylor Sheridan's Landman tries as hard as possible to stay faithful to the real life oil business, but sometimes concessions have to be made.
Christian Wallace, co-creator of the popular TV series Landman, shared insights with Variety about the show's accuracy to the real-world oil industry. Wallace, a former oil roughneck, revealed that they strive to make the show as authentic as possible by utilizing genuine drilling rigs and professional workers on set. However, they do employ storytelling techniques for the sake of narrative, such as shorthand communication among industry professionals.
Although the oil and gas business isn't as thrilling as Sheridan's other Western series, Wallace noted that the creative team avoids lengthy scenes of characters like Tommy Norris, played by Billy Bob Thornton, performing mundane tasks like paperwork. The show's dramatic elements ensure it remains captivating. Despite the exaggerations, Wallace confirmed that certain aspects of the storyline have a basis in reality.
For instance, the depiction of the Gallino Cartel in Season 1, including the cartel members landing a small plane on a rural road and being ambushed by Texas Rangers, was inspired by an actual event from Texas Ranger history.
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