Trailer Surfaces For LONGMIRE TV Series

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A&E guns for share of JUSTIFIED fan base

Or at least, that’s what I think they’re doing.

Since it won’t be possible to spend a lot of time discussing the new Longmire TV series before making a comparison to Justified, we’ll just get that on the table right away.  There isn’t much that Longmire will likely have over Justified in terms of sheer quality.  Sheriff Walt Longmire is the basis for the bulk of author Craig Johnson’s body of work, while Raylan Givens is just another fractal from the badass factory in Elmore Leonard’s head.

Advantage: Justified.

Johnson is an accomplished author, and I’m not here to say otherwise.  The million-dollar question is whether or not his work will serve as a fountain of compelling source material for a dynamic TV series.  Here’s the first hint we have at an answer:

http://youtu.be/0naK6Nk1xP8

Of course, whether or not Longmire succeeds on the small screen has almost nothing to do with Craig Johnson at this point.  A lot of it will have to do with whether or not audiences buy Robert Taylor as the title character, and perhaps to a lesser extent, whether or not they can buy Katee Sackhoff as a deputy sheriff.

On the sheer basis of the trailer, I’m not exactly brimming with enthusiasm for the arrival of Longmire.  It isn’t a hell of a lot to go on, but the Marlboro Man shots of Taylor tilting the brim of his hat down to obscure his eyes as he swaggers methodically toward the camera are already getting on my nerves.  I’m usually a fan of stark, dusty motifs, but there’s something on the screen here that’s coming off distinctly low rent and family hour.  And I hate family hour.  Longmire seems to have more in common with Walker, Texas Ranger than Justified.  Just the vibe I’m getting.

And never mind that I predicted that Awake would be the next great network television drama.  I’m much better at spotting the ugly ducklings than I am the white swans.

Quack, quack.  Longmire waddles into town June 3rd.