Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War

This is an outstanding documentary on the events surrounding the Earps and the Clantons. I have read and watched plenty of books and documentaries about the events and this still provided new facts I never heard. This is not a straight documentary as they have actors playing the roles in little vignettes of the events. They all do a very commendable job of giving a human touch to the events. Ed Harris is a fantastic narrator. He is not just reading the script.

He uses various inflections in his voice to provide either humor or tension to the events he is narrating. He needs to do more of this kind of voicework. Where this show really shines is taking a very broad approach to the the events and discussing outside factors that led to the conflict. Some of these are the hurt feelings still being held by the South after the Civil War, America's debt from the war, trying to pay off that debt with silver from Arizona, said silver getting hijacked by stage coach robbers, J. P Morgan trying to get investors in England to give him loans to buy up the railroads, the recent assassination of President Garfield, Wells Fargo bankrolling Wyatt's Vendetta Ride until it becomes too scandalous, and, finally, the impression people in the East were getting of the West based on the inflammatory news articles in the New York and Washington D. C. papers. President Arthur even sent General Sherman to Arizona to determine if the violence was getting out of hand. Hint: It was. The gunfight at the OK Corral and the aftermath were not happening in a vacuum. They were affecting events all the way to Washington and Europe.

All of this is handled with pinpoint storytelling. Each of the six episode focuses on a different aspect of events. In the first episode you get the backstory to include how Tombstone came to exist, the climate in America post-Civil War, and the background on the Earps' and Clantons' conflict. Then you get an episode dealing with the OK Corral gunfight and the alternate views of both sides. There is an entire episode on the preliminary hearing trying the Earps for murder. This was fascinating and the best part of part of the series IMO, as most of the movies skip right over or give very little attention to the details of how close the Earps came to hanging. Ike Clanton comes across as a pretty sly and wily opponent rather than a drunken fool like he is portrayed in the movies. Yes, he drank, but he was also ingenious at times in how he manipulated the press and the townfolk.

The one negative I found in this show is the way they completely ignored Johnny Ringo. He is not even mentioned. Michael Biehn deserved better. Haha.

I binged this entire series last night as I could not wait for the next episode. A very well done series that deserves to be watched by anyone who enjoys historical documentaries.

Although there are plenty of documentaries that do the acting along the way as they're explaining the history, the pacing and overall storytelling is just really fun. It's different than other acting documentaries I've seen for that reason. I especially love how the historical context gives more support to the acting. And they really did a great job casting Wyatt Earp. He's borderline perfect. Even if he is Australian ;)

It's different than other acting documentaries I've seen for that reason. I especially love how the historical context gives more support to the acting. And they really did a great job casting Wyatt Earp.

This docudrama about the West, and more particularly, Tombstone and the Earps, is one of the best written, if not the best written, stories about what really happened. Through multiple sources looking at multiple aspects, we get a full idea of what was happening. How London to New York to Washington to Arizona all come into play between the Civil War, the railroad, the stagecoach, cattle, the newspapers, etc. Is a wonder. Marvelous writing and homework on the part of the producers and writers. It's literally like nothing you've ever seen before.

Why not a 10? Well, it's the acting. The acting isn't up to a 10 level. Everything else is, so that's why it gets a 9. The acting isn't bad, but when everything else is perfect, it could use a slight boast.

My great-great grandfather was a Texas Ranger in Bell County, Texas during the 1870's. He participated in what is believed to have been the last known battle against the Comanche Indians near present day San Saba, Texas. His photograph used to be on display at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas.

I have always been absorbed by stories of Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, the James gang...etc. I have read books on those subjects and watched all the documentaries, tv shows, and movies. I've visited Tombstone, Arizona and walked inside the OK Corral. I even visited Jessie James's family home in Missouri. But nothing I've seen or read was as entertaining or informative as "Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War". It does a deep dive into everything the movies and books never seem to accurately or sufficiently cover. I learned things I never knew before.

It is narrated by Ed Harris, who I'm a big fan of. The reenactments are great and are filmed in a very dramatic and entertaining way. The casting, directing and acting is very well done. I also thought the music and narration were both top notch. I couldn't stop watching it and was sad when ended.

Well, if you only know Wyatt Earp from the movies, such as Tombstone (which is a great movie, BTW), then this will open your eyes to the complexity of the real Wyatt Earp.

It wasn't all so cut and dried as the movies make it out to be. And events didn't quite go down the way the movies claim. It's actually much more interesting than that!

This docu-drama does a great job of layering in the events, all the way from the local events in Tombstone, to the reverberations they caused politically and economically.

The drama parts are well acted and the story rattles along at a great pace. They manage to end each episode on a cliffhanger, too.

And a special mention for Ed Harris' outstanding narration!

I binge-watched it in one evening and i highly recommend it!