Netflix show combining 'Clint Eastwood and John Steinbeck' is 'perfect period drama'

Created by Tony Tost, Damnation is a 2017 American period drama series made for television. A co-production between Netflix and Universal Cable Productions, the short-lived, one-season series managed to make a lasting impact on viewers and is still regarded as a great watch years after its premiere.

Originally titled Dark Wind, the show's name was changed to be in line with its tone and theme. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled after just one season on January 25, 2018, and removed from Netflix altogether in 2023. It's now available to buy on Amazon Prime Video.

The Western-themed series tackles a controversial period in American history, chronicling a farmers' strike in Holden, Iowa, as it follows the two opposing characters at the heart of its story.

The show's official synopsis reads: "Seth Davenport is a man masquerading as a small-town Iowa preacher in hopes of starting a full-blown insurrection against the status quo. Focused on his mission, he is unaware that an industrialist tycoon has hired a professional strikebreaker named Creeley Turner to stop the uprising by any means necessary. But unbeknownst to those around them, these two men already share a secret, bloody past.

"This epic saga about the secret history of the 1930s American heartland centers on the mythic conflict and bloody struggle between big money and the downtrodden, God and greed, charlatans and prophets."

Damnation stars Killian Scott as Seth Davenport and Logan Marshall-Green as Creeley Turner. They are joined by Sarah Jones, Chasten Harmon, Christopher Heyerdahl, Melinda Page Hamilton, and Joe Adler in supporting roles.

Speaking to Fayetteville Flyer in 2017, showcreator Tony Tost shared: "Damnation was a sort of back-pocket passion project. I describe it as 1/3 Clint Eastwood, 1/3 John Steinbeck, 1/3 James Ellroy. That is, it takes some characters you'd normally see in a tough western, plops them in the world of Grapes of Wrath, and places them in the sort of pulpy paranoid narrative you see in Ellroy's novels. It's almost impossible for me to trace or describe the impetus for the show.

With a smashing 92 per cent audience approval rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Damnation was well-loved by viewers, with one IMDB user writing: "While recently home, sick, and slightly bored, I decided to give Damnation a try. And wow, what a delightful surprise! Everything was stellar - the acting, storylines, particularly, the historical depiction of sociopolitical dynamics during this era! The costumes, directing, I enjoyed it all!"

Another fan of the show gushed: "Just finished watching this on Netflix in the UK and I am both perplexed and severely disappointed that this did not get commissioned for a 2nd series. Its a classic morality play, but with two differences/enhancements. One, it contains a decent narrative surrounding the politics of the time that a more simplistic series would ignore, and two, I have seldom watched a series with such tremendous strength in depth of leads. Seriously - whatever the Director did to enable these performances should be applauded."

While a third viewer said of the 10-part series: "Love this show! In fact sooo much that I watch it twice during the week. The directing,the scenes, and mostly the acting are superb.I can barely swallow while watching. The plot to date is intriguing detailing how some oppressed folks struggled against power.Good lesson in American history that some may not realize. LOVE IT."

Damnation is available to purchase on Amazon Prime Video for £2.49 per episode or £11.99 for the whole season.