From Creator, Executive Producer, Writer and Director Sterlin Harjo (“Reservation Dogs”) and starring Executive Producer Ethan Hawke (“Training Day”), the Oklahoma produced series “The Lowdown” will premiere Tuesday, September 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the FX Network.
“The Lowdown” follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Hawke), a self-proclaimed Tulsa “truthstorian” whose obsession with the truth is always getting him into trouble. The pilot was filmed in Oklahoma this spring. Hawke is supported by an all-star cast, including Keith David, Siena East, Kyle Maclachlan, Macon Blair, Scott Sheperd, as well as notable Oklahoma talents including Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tim Blake Nelson and Tracy Letts, among others.
“I love continuing my work of filming in Oklahoma,” said Harjo. “Shooting in my backyard in Tulsa was a dream. From the crew to the actors, we had the best time and most definitely created a family. The people of Tulsa were so good to everyone. I’m excited to continue the work and keep bringing film work to Oklahoma.”
“The Lowdown” marks Harjo’s second scripted series to be produced in Oklahoma with FX Productions following the success of the award-winning series “Reservation Dogs,” which ran for three seasons. Early reports from the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) estimate season one of the series, including the pilot episode, had an impact of over $42 million spent directly in-state with the creation of nearly 2,000 local career opportunities over 76 days of principal photography.
“We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to return to Oklahoma and once again collaborate with Sterlin Harjo and the extremely talented local crew who contributed to ‘The Lowdown,’” said FX Networks VP of Production Gigi Causey. “We are grateful for the support and partnership of the Oklahoma Film + Music Office and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture, whose support made it possible for us to return to this amazing state to bring another beautiful portrait of Tulsa to a wide audience.”
“It was an honor to host FX Productions in bringing this new television series from Sterlin Harjo from script to screen in our state,” said OF+MO Director Jeanette Stanton. “Sterlin is not only a prolific filmmaker, but a continued champion for Oklahoma. We’re incredibly grateful to Sterlin and FX for their continued trust in Oklahoma and value their ongoing investment in our local workforce, talent, businesses and communities who benefit from the economic opportunities the film and television industry provides.”
Multiple Oklahoma communities were positively impacted by the production, which filmed on-location at multiple sites throughout Northeast Oklahoma, including Bartlesville, Cleveland, Collinsville, Skiatook, Sperry, Owasso and their production base in the City of Tulsa.
“Sterlin Harjo choosing to film ‘The Lowdown’ in Tulsa is a huge win for the city, region and state,” said Executive Director of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture Meg Gould. “Tulsa continues to grow and shine as a filming destination and creative hub, and this project highlights that while also generating significant economic impact through local businesses and jobs for our rapidly expanding film and television workforce, musicians and actors. We are so proud to see Tulsa shine on screen and behind the scenes of this world-class television production.”
Several Oklahoma musicians are featured throughout the first season of “The Lowdown,” including many who appear on screen in acting roles, such as Johnny Polygon, Jacob Tovar, Madame Zeroni, Joleen Brown and Ken Pomeroy. Some of these musicians also have songs and performances featured in the series alongside additional local artists Johnny Mullenax, Kalyn Fay, Olivia McGraw, Matt Magerkurth, Muskrat Jones, Paddy Ryan and JD McPherson, the latter of whom helped score the series.
“There’s always been a historically stellar reputation for the quality of music that emanates from this state, but lately I keep hearing a lot of buzz abroad about what is going on here right now. I can say that creating the score and producing music for this series has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, not only because it’s a dream gig, but also because of the huge repository of Oklahoma music represented,” said McPherson. “From Leon Russell to The Gap Band to Lee Hazelwood to Kalyn Fay, everything is just so cool. Tulsa is oozing out of this show’s pores. I can’t wait for the world to see the breadth of talent that Tulsa is producing, as well as revisiting many classics from the great Oklahoma songbook.”
“The Lowdown” is the latest production to utilize Oklahoma’s film incentive program with a recent study revealing that the Filmed in Oklahoma Act has generated over $531 million in direct economic impact for the state since its inception in 2021. The study highlighted that 60% of qualified spending went to worker wages, with the remaining 40% funding direct purchases of goods and services.
Following its successful world premiere earlier this month at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, television critics, including The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly, are already heralding “The Lowdown” as one of the must watch shows of the upcoming television season.
A new episode of this eight-episode season will premiere weekly every Tuesday on FX, streaming the next day on Hulu, and coming to Disney+ internationally.
Watch the trailer for FX’s “The Lowdown” now.
For more information on Oklahoma’s film infrastructure, workforce and other resources, visit okfilmmusic.org.
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About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office
Under the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) works to promote the state as a viable hub for film, television and music production as well as further develop opportunities for workforce, business and community growth within these sectors. For more information on the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, including the state’s film incentives and additional resources, visit okfilmmusic.org.
