Timothy Olyphant in FX's "Lawman."

Two of my favorite TV shows and one of my favorite authors will all mash up in “Lawman,” set for spring on FX. Graham Yost (”Boomtown”) created “Lawman,” based on an Elmore Leonard character and starring Timothy Olyphant (”Deadwood”). Here’s the announcement from FX:

LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2009 – FX has placed a 13-episode order for its next original drama series, Lawman, which was developed by Graham Yost (Boomtown, Speed) and stars Timothy Olyphant (Damages, Deadwood), announced John Landgraf, president and general manager, FX Networks.  Lawman will premiere on FX in spring of 2010.

Produced by Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions, Lawman is based on the popular Elmore Leonard character “Raylan Givens” featured in his short story Fire in the Hole.  Yost, who created and produced the critically acclaimed NBC drama Boomtown, wrote the pilot and will serve as executive producer/writer on the series.  Leonard (Cuba Libre, Rum Punch, Get Shorty) will serve as an executive producer on the series along with Sarah Timberman (Kidnapped), Carl Beverly (Kidnapped) and Michael Dinner (Karen Sisco), who directed the pilot episode. The pilot was shot in Pittsburgh and Miami, and series production will take place in Southern California beginning this fall.

“FX has been fortunate to employ some of the finest writers working in television and we’re lucky to add an outstanding talent like Graham Yost to that growing list,” said Landgraf.  “Graham began with a memorable character from one of America’s foremost crime novelists, Elmore Leonard, and we scored the hat trick signing Tim Olyphant who is absolutely pitch-perfect in the role of Raylan Givens.”

Olyphant stars in the lead role of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. Givens is a modern day 19th century-style lawman, enforcing his brand of justice in a way that puts a target on his back with criminals and places him at odds with his bosses in the Marshal service. That conflict results in a reassignment for Givens to the U.S. District covering the town where he grew up.  He is an anachronism – a tough, soft spoken gentleman who finds his quarry fascinating, but never gives an inch. Dig under his placid skin and you’ll find an angry man who grew up hard in rural Kentucky, with an outlaw father, who knows a lot more about who he doesn’t want to be than who he really is.

Olyphant starred in HBO’s award-winning drama Deadwood, and he co-starred FX’s award-winning drama series Damages last season.  Some of his feature films credits include Live Free or Die Hard, Hitman and The Girl Next Door.

The series co-stars Nick Searcy (CSI) as Givens longtime friend and boss “Art Mullen,” and Jacob Pitts (21) and Erica Tazel (Life) as Deputy Marshals “Tim Gutterson” and “Rachel Dupree.”  Guest stars include Walton Goggins (The Shield), Joelle Carter (CSI: Miami) and Natalie Zea (Dirty Sexy Money).  Lawman is produced by FX Productions, Timberman-Beverly Productions, Nemo Films and Rooney McP Productions, Inc in association with Sony Pictures Television.

For FX, Lawman is the tenth drama series ordered by the network since its rollout of scripted dramas in March of 2002.  Other drama series include Emmy and Golden Globe award winners The Shield and Nip/Tuck; Emmy and Golden Globe nominated Rescue Me; Over There; Emmy Award winner Thief (received a limited series six-episode order); Dirt; Emmy and Golden Globe nominated The Riches; and Emmy and Golden Globe award winner Damages, starring Glenn Close, and Sons of Anarchy which returns for its second season on September 8.