The return of the Western

Wow, did you catch the latest installment of Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" saga on CBS tonight?! It was awesome!

"Comanche Moon" has the typically riveting cast of characters and plot we've come to expect from McMurtry's dramatizations of the Old West. But, this installment's cast delivers some truly stellar performances.

Val Kilmer plays an eccentric Yankee intent upon finding the rascals responsible for stealing his prized horse.

Steve Zahn (remember him from "Saving Silverman"?!?) plays a Texas Ranger with self-esteem problems.

And, Rachel Griffiths is delightfully trampy as an Austin socialite with way too much money and time on her hands.

Hopefully, this will spur . . . get it: "spur"?!? . . . me into finally completing my own western novel. That was another of those new year's resolutions I alluded to in yesterday's post . . .

Oh, and as to the real Cowboys out in Dallas, here's a tissue for TO. I guess, he'll be eating that popcorn next weekend as he watches the Giants play in the conference championship . . . that, or he could watch a tape of tonight's "Comanche Moon." (The next installment is Tuesday, so check your local listings!)