This 1996 Western Series With A Fantastic Premise Was Canceled For A Devastating Reason

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When it comes to great Western TV shows, Robert Urich is probably most remembered for "Lonesome Dove." After all, the 1989 miniseries — which sees Urich star alongside Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones — was nominated for well over a dozen Emmys and is now regarded as a classic. Unfortunately, "The Lazarus Man" never got a chance to reach similar levels of acclaim as "Lonesome Dove." That's because the series was canceled after one season after Urich was diagnosed with synovial cell sarcoma cancer.

Created by Dick Beebee, "The Lazarus Man" tells the story of an amnesia-stricken U.S. Army officer (Urich) who wakes up in a shallow grave following the Civil War. With his past a complete mystery, he sets out to piece his memories back together, later discovering that he was Abraham Lincoln's bodyguard at the time of his assassination. Someone in their camp betrayed the president, and Urich's character wants answers.

Castle Rock Entertainment, the production company behind the underrated Western series, canceled the planned second season after learning of Urich's diagnosis. The actor subsequently sued for breach of contract, as Castle Rock reportedly agreed to pay him $1.5 million for the sophomore installment. 

Despite receiving cancer treatments, Urich intended to film the series as planned, but Castle Rock pulled out. The case was later settled behind the scenes, and "The Lazarus Man" became yet another footnote in the history of canceled TV shows. But can Western fans still watch it today?

"The Lazarus Man" isn't available to stream online — at least not in its full glory. There are some scattered episodes on YouTube, but they weren't exactly uploaded through the proper channels. As such, don't expect these episodes to remain there permanently. Plus, the selection is so random that the storylines probably wouldn't make sense to newcomers. 

However, if you're willing to shell out a few bucks for the "Lazarus Man" DVD, it's currently available on Amazon, eBay, and other online retail outlets. As it stands, this appears to be the only way to legally watch the entire series. However, it's worth tracking down, as "The Lazarus Man" is one of several forgotten '90s Westerns that still hold up today.

For anyone who's interested, Dick Beebee lent his writing talents to the underrated "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" and "House on Haunted Hill" remake after "The Lazarus Man" got canceled. His other Western credits include "Into the Badlands," a horror-tinged TV film starring Bruce Dern and Helen Hunt. It's just a shame that Beebee's work isn't more well-known, as "The Lazarus Man" shows that he had some interesting ideas.