They say everything is bigger in Texas, and Ransom Canyon, a deliciously addictive new series from April Blair (Wednesday, All American), proves that the adage holds true for romance and family drama.
Created, written, and executive produced by Blair, Ransom Canyon charts the intersecting lives of three ranching families, all set against the rugged expanse of Texas Hill Country. “At its core, Ransom Canyon isn’t just a town, it’s an idea. It’s the painful longing for your first love. It’s the burning desire to protect your family. It’s cowboys and lovers, grifters and thieves. Lust, deceit, heartache, home … Ransom has it all,” Blair tells Tudum. “I think people are going to fall in love with this little slice of Texas and the dramas and romances that we created there.”
Immerse yourself in the Lone Star State’s countryside with the contemporary Western saga now streaming on Netflix. Below, feast your eyes on the show’s trailer and some steamy images.
With the generational struggle over family land as its backdrop, the heart of Ransom Canyon is a years-in-the-making, will-they-wont-they romance between characters Staten and Quinn. Josh Duhamel (The Lost Husband, Transformers, Love, Simon) is the steadfast, stoic Staten Kirkland, owner and sole occupant of the sprawling Double K Ranch, reeling from the loss of his wife. Staten leads the charge to resist the outside forces threatening his way of life and the land that he loves. “[Staten’s] dealt with a lot of grief, although I’m not sure he really dealt with the grief very well,” Duhamel tells Tudum. “When he comes back to the world of living, as he says in the show, he realizes that there are a lot of unexplored opportunities and relationships that he probably never even saw before the loss happened.”
Meanwhile, New York Times bestselling author Minka Kelly (Euphoria, Friday Night Lights) plays Quinn O’Grady, who has often found herself in the shadow of others. After a stint in New York pursuing a career as a concert pianist, Quinn has returned to Ransom Canyon to carve out a new path and run the local dance hall. “They’re both so on point and their antagonistic chemistry just crackles,” says Blair of the show’s central couple. “It just really set the whole season in motion.”
“I wanted to do something that felt big and escapist and had the romance, but also had the drama, and the mystery wrapped up in one package,” says Blair of finding the show’s tonal balance. “Old Westerns did have a romance and drama to them, so it leans into a more bygone era Western.”
Both Kelly and Duhamel had more than one reason to relate to their characters. Kelly, who grew up in Albuquerque where the series was shot, is a longtime equestrian, and has always dreamed of learning to play the piano. “It just was wild how much I have in common with Quinn,” Kelly tells Tudum. “I’ve never had to shoot in Albuquerque until this show. I was afraid to go back because I hadn’t really been there since my childhood, which wasn’t the best. Going back in this way just took away the boogeyman. There were places I visited from my childhood that I would think, ‘Man, if the Minka at that time would have ever imagined I’d be back here shooting this show, I never would have believed it.’ It was really beautiful and there’s something divine about it.” Not to mention, the show finds the actor returning to Texas, where she delivered one of TV’s favorite performances as Lyla Garrity in Friday Night Lights.
Duhamel resonated with Staten’s deep relationship to the land. “I really related to this character in a lot of ways,” the actor says. “It’s very much about family, legacy, and the land. [I’m] from North Dakota and I have a place in Minnesota with some property that I just spent a lot of time developing with the intention of raising my kids there and hopefully someday they’ll pass it on to their kids.”
Who else is in the cast?
- James Brolin (Sweet Tooth) as Cap
- Marianly Tejada (One of Us is Lying) as Ellie Estevez
- Jack Schumacher (Top Gun: Maverick) as Yancy Grey
- Eoin Macken (La Brea) as Davis Collins
- Lizzy Greene (A Million Little Things) as Lauren Brigman
- Garrett Wareing (Manifest) as Lucas Russell
- Andrew Liner (Vampire Academy) as Reid Collins
- Jaren K. Robledo (Rez Ball) as Jack Yellowbird
- Casey W. Johnson (GLOW) as Kit Russell
- Jennifer Ens (Chapelwaite) as Ashley
- Brett Cullen (Joker) as Senator Samuel “Sam” Kirkland
- Kate Burton (Grey’s Anatomy) as Katherine Bullock
- Niko Guardado (Party of Five) as Tim O’Grady
- Philip Winchester (Strike Back) as Sheriff Dan Brigman
- Justin Johnson Cortez (Walker: Independence) as Kai
- Kenneth Miller (The Cleaning Lady) as Freddie
“I think that’s what makes us all so excited to go to work every day: There’s just so much love and support between all of us,” says Kelly of working with this cast. “So there’s a lot of that that blends into the performance, which is really organic and sweet.”
Who is directing Ransom Canyon?
Ransom Canyon’s first two (of ten total) 60-minute episodes are directed by Amanda Marsalis (Ozark, The Umbrella Academy). “Being led by a bunch of cool, smart women — I was very excited to be on board and tell these stories,” says Kelly. “It’s also so beautifully shot, and I knew it would be because I was such a fan of Amanda Marsalis. Her vision is so gorgeous, and it’s just its own character in the show.”4
When does Ransom Canyon come out?
Giddyap! Ransom Canyon is now streaming on Netflix. “I hope audiences feel nourished in some way, like they just ate a warm, gooey chocolate cake. I hope they feel like they escaped whatever is going on in their lives and were stimulated emotionally, intellectually, in the mystery and eye candy,” says Kelly. “I hope they want to binge it.”
Blair seconds that, adding, “My favorite feeling is when a show ends, and you don’t want it to end. It makes you feel warm and familiar, and you don’t want to let go. It’s how I feel about the show watching it. I want them to feel joy and love, but also excitement about the mysteries and the drama that we have going.”
Even Duhamel, who is a self-described “tough critic” of his own work, agrees. “The show is one of those that is real easy to watch. It’s almost like comfort food,” he says. “The performances are really fun and nuanced and interesting. People are going to feel something when they watch this.”
For future updates on Ransom Canyon, check back with Tudum.
