Kevin Costner Remains True to the Western Spirit After Yellowstone with a New Series Inspired by the True Conquest of the West
He turned the cowboy into a prime-time icon, now Kevin Costner is riding back to question the trail he helped pave. What happens when the face of Western myth points his lens at what the myth leaves out?
Kevin Costner pivots from fiction to fact with an eight-part Western documentary that strips the varnish from frontier legend. El Lejano Oeste por Kevin Costner, produced and narrated by the actor alongside Pulitzer winner Doris Kearns Goodwin, revisits foundational episodes through competing voices and rigorous context. Airing on Canal Historia in Spain with new installments through late November 2025, it trades cowboy shorthand for a wider lens on indigenous nations, settlers and rising powers. The result is a Western that asks who tells the story and who has been left out.
Kevin Costner rides into new territory with a fresh take on the Wild West
Kevin Costner is at it again. Following his iconic role in the celebrated series Yellowstone, the actor-director returns to the very genre that has become his hallmark: the Western. This time, it’s not a scripted drama but a deep dive into history through his ambitious new documentary series, El Lejano Oeste por Kevin Costner (The Far West by Kevin Costner). Scheduled to air on Canal Historia in Spain starting November 3, 2025, the eight-episode series offers a thoughtful examination of the American West’s founding, exposing its complexities and legends.
A spotlight on history with a critical lens
El Lejano Oeste por Kevin Costner isn’t your typical Western. Narrated and produced by Costner, the series partners him with Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, ensuring that the project is both evocative and deeply researched. The episodes explore some of the most pivotal moments of the West, moving beyond the usual cowboy-versus-outlaw motifs. Instead, the show delves into the multifaceted relationships between indigenous nations, settlers, and the social and political forces shaping the land’s destiny. This is storytelling as it should be: honest, gripping, and nuanced.
An epic chronicle, one chapter at a time
The series unfolds in eight intricately crafted episodes, with each chapter shedding light on a significant event from Western history:
- Episodes 1 & 2, titled La batalla de los Árboles Caídos and La fuga de Colter, set the tone, presenting two captivating tales of survival and conflict.
- Episodes 3 & 4, airing November 10, 2025, venture into frontier expansion with Los caminos de Oregón and the daring sagas of Comancheria.
- Subsequent episodes El Robin Hood de El Dorado, Kansas sangrienta, La batalla de Fetterman, and La guerra del condado Johnson continue through November, ending on the 24th. Each promises to add new layers to the story of a land in transformation.
Every episode carries its weight, offering vivid portrayals of challenges and confrontations that defined an era. From freedom fighters to unyielding frontiersmen, these stories are as diverse as the landscapes they unfold in.
A Western legacy reimagined
For Costner, this project is a natural continuation of a career rooted in Western lore. Fans remember his Oscar-winning Dances with Wolves and his commitment to the neo-Western revival in Yellowstone. However, his departure from Yellowstone and reported challenges with his Horizon saga haven’t deterred him. If anything, they’ve fueled his passion for exploring the genre from fresh angles. Teaming up with Canal Historia and Doris Kearns Goodwin shows his dedication to authenticity and depth, bringing historical events into sharp focus.
History redrawn for modern times
What makes El Lejano Oeste por Kevin Costner different? It’s the effort to break through nostalgia and look history in the eye. With stories centered on marginalized voices and contested legacies, the series presents a layered narrative, one that acknowledges both courage and complexity. It’s a Western for the times, embracing the grit without glossing over the shadows. And that is its strength.
As the series airs through November 2025, it offers viewers a chance to rediscover the American West, not in romanticized tones, but as a landscape shaped by resilience, division, and ambition. That’s a story worth watching.
