# Joe Pickett (TV series)
*Joe Pickett* is an American Western crime drama television series based on the Joe Pickett novel series by C.J. Box, starring Michael Dorman as a Wyoming game warden who investigates crimes in and around the town of Saddlestring.[1](https://www.tvline.com/news/joe-pickett-cancelled-season-3-1235068629/) It ran for two seasons and 20 episodes from 2021 to 2023, first on Spectrum Originals and then on Paramount+.[2](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/joe-pickett)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Source material | The New York Times bestselling Joe Pickett novel series by C.J. Box, who also served as an executive producer[3](https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/the-new-york-times-best-selling-book-series-joe-pickett-has-its-television-debut-exclusively-on-spectrum) |
| Premiere | December 6, 2021, exclusively on Spectrum; first three episodes released that day, finale December 27, 2021[3](https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/the-new-york-times-best-selling-book-series-joe-pickett-has-its-television-debut-exclusively-on-spectrum) |
| Lead cast | Michael Dorman as Joe Pickett, Julianna Guill as Marybeth Pickett, Mustafa Speaks as Nate Romanowski, Sharon Lawrence as Missy Vankeuren, Skywalker Hughes as Sheridan Pickett, Kamryn Pliva as Lucy Pickett[2](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/joe-pickett) |
| Creators | John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, who served as showrunners, directors, and executive producers[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/1110181/joe-pickett-canceled-season-3-paramount-plus/) |
| Seasons | 2 seasons, 20 episodes total, 2021–2023[2](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/joe-pickett) |
| Filming | Alberta, Canada, including Calgary and High River, for a story set in Wyoming[5](https://spectrumnews1.com/arts-entertainment/2021/12/06/wyoming-game-warden-joe-pickett-hunts-for-new-adventures) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14271652/locations/) |
| Cancellation | Announced October 31, 2023; both seasons remain available on Paramount+[1](https://www.tvline.com/news/joe-pickett-cancelled-season-3-1235068629/) |
## Premise
The series follows Joe Pickett, the new game warden of Saddlestring, Wyoming, a town described by [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) as "as beautiful and charming as it is corrupt and dangerous."[7](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/joe-pickett/) Season 1 begins when a local poacher, Ote Keeley, is found brutally murdered on Joe's property after stealing his gun during a citation; Joe investigates to protect his wife Marybeth and young daughters, uncovering lies and deceit that put the family in mortal danger.[7](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/joe-pickett/) • [8](https://www.mattacritic9803.com/p/joe-pickett-season-1-review-and-analysis) A mysterious survivalist, Nate Romanowski, is arrested for the crime, and Joe later forms an uneasy alliance with him.[7](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/joe-pickett/)
In Season 2, set one year after a violent attack on the Pickett family, Joe discovers a hunter murdered in the mountains and realizes it is one of a series of gruesome killings targeting hunters; he and Marybeth dig into the case, face a radical anti-hunting activist and a set of twins living off the grid, and are eventually forced to go on the run.[7](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/joe-pickett/) • [4](https://www.tvinsider.com/1110181/joe-pickett-canceled-season-3-paramount-plus/)
## Production and broadcast history
The series was commissioned by [Charter Communications](https://www.edgepedia.org/charter-communications)' Spectrum Originals in early 2021 and produced by Paramount Television Studios.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/1110181/joe-pickett-canceled-season-3-paramount-plus/) Spectrum Originals debuted the 10-episode first season on December 6, 2021, releasing episodes weekly through a December 27 finale, with the show available on demand and ad-free to Spectrum video subscribers.[3](https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/the-new-york-times-best-selling-book-series-joe-pickett-has-its-television-debut-exclusively-on-spectrum) Spectrum ordered a second season in February 2022, soon after the first season's run.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/1110181/joe-pickett-canceled-season-3-paramount-plus/)
**Move to Paramount+.** In July 2022 Spectrum Originals head Katherine Pope was named head of [Sony Pictures Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures-television), and Charter announced in August 2022 that it would shut down Spectrum Originals.[9](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64304827/) Paramount+ held the streaming rights and aired the second season, which premiered with two episodes on June 4, 2023.[9](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64304827/) • [10](https://www.nexttv.com/news/joe-pickett-premieres-on-new-home-june-4)
**Cancellation.** On October 31, 2023, it was reported that the series had finished its run after two seasons and would not return for a third.[1](https://www.tvline.com/news/joe-pickett-cancelled-season-3-1235068629/) Paramount Television Studios stated that the series was commissioned by Spectrum, which had announced Spectrum Originals' shutdown before season two debuted, and that both seasons would remain available on Paramount+.[11](https://www.nexttv.com/news/joe-pickett-comes-to-an-end-on-paramount-plus) Paramount+ had briefly and incorrectly labeled the season 2 finale a "series finale" days before it aired, then corrected the listing.[1](https://www.tvline.com/news/joe-pickett-cancelled-season-3-1235068629/)
## Adaptation of the novels
Season 1 draws primarily on *Open Season* (2001), the first Joe Pickett novel, while incorporating elements of the third book, *Winterkill*, plus new storylines tying the two together, according to C.J. Box.[5](https://spectrumnews1.com/arts-entertainment/2021/12/06/wyoming-game-warden-joe-pickett-hunts-for-new-adventures) Box, an executive producer on the show, said the producers' philosophy was to adhere closely to the storylines and the family rather than transform the books into their own creation.[5](https://spectrumnews1.com/arts-entertainment/2021/12/06/wyoming-game-warden-joe-pickett-hunts-for-new-adventures) At the time of the show's debut, Box's novels had sold millions of copies in the United States and been translated into 27 languages.[3](https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/the-new-york-times-best-selling-book-series-joe-pickett-has-its-television-debut-exclusively-on-spectrum)
## Reception
Season 1 holds a 100% Tomatometer rating from five critics and a 77% Popcornmeter score from more than 100 audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes; the series page lists a 100% average Tomatometer across 10 reviews.[12](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/joe_pickett/s01) • [13](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/joe_pickett) Critics compared it favorably to other modern Western crime dramas: Matt Roush of TV Insider suggested viewers who followed *Longmire* would find a kindred spirit, and Brad Newsome of the Sydney Morning Herald gave it 3.5/5, calling Michael Dorman "one of the most quietly compelling actors of his generation" for his work after *[Patriot](https://www.edgepedia.org/patriot-tv-series)*.[12](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/joe_pickett/s01) [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) reported that the show became Spectrum's most-watched series ever before its second-season renewal.[14](https://www.tvguide.com/news/joe-pickett-yellowstone-longmire-tv-westerns-paramount-plus/)
## References
1. [Joe Pickett Not Returning For Season 3, TVLine (October 31, 2023)](https://www.tvline.com/news/joe-pickett-cancelled-season-3-1235068629/)
2. [Joe Pickett, Paramount Global Content](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/joe-pickett)
3. [The New York Times #1 Best Selling Book Series 'Joe Pickett' Has Its Television Debut Exclusively on Spectrum, Charter Newsroom (November 15, 2021)](https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/the-new-york-times-best-selling-book-series-joe-pickett-has-its-television-debut-exclusively-on-spectrum)
4. [Joe Pickett Canceled at Paramount+ After 2 Seasons, TV Insider (October 31, 2023)](https://www.tvinsider.com/1110181/joe-pickett-canceled-season-3-paramount-plus/)
5. [Spectrum Originals Brings Everyman 'Joe Pickett' to New Audiences, Spectrum News 1 (December 6, 2021)](https://spectrumnews1.com/arts-entertainment/2021/12/06/wyoming-game-warden-joe-pickett-hunts-for-new-adventures)
6. [Joe Pickett Filming & Production, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14271652/locations/)
7. [Joe Pickett, Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/joe-pickett/)
8. [Joe Pickett Season 1 Review and Analysis, Mattacritic](https://www.mattacritic9803.com/p/joe-pickett-season-1-review-and-analysis)
9. ['Joe Pickett' Canceled at Paramount+ After Two Seasons, Variety via IMDb News (October 31, 2023)](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64304827/)
10. [‘Joe Pickett’ Premieres on New Home June 4 | Next TV | Broadcasting+Cable](https://www.nexttv.com/news/joe-pickett-premieres-on-new-home-june-4)
11. ['Joe Pickett' Comes to an End on Paramount Plus, Next TV (November 1, 2023)](https://www.nexttv.com/news/joe-pickett-comes-to-an-end-on-paramount-plus)
12. [Joe Pickett: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/joe_pickett/s01)
13. [Joe Pickett, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/joe_pickett)
14. [Yellowstone and Modern Western Fans Will Love This New TV Series, TV Guide (June 10, 2022)](https://www.tvguide.com/news/joe-pickett-yellowstone-longmire-tv-westerns-paramount-plus/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Genre and subject-scripted series › Western television series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license