It’s been 12 years since Longmire, the hit series starring Robert Taylor as the beloved Sheriff of Absoroka County, first premiered on A&E Network, capturing the hearts of fans around the world. After three seasons on television, the show moved to Netflix, where it ran for another three seasons before ending in 2017. Now, fans are calling for Longmire’s return, with many believing the show, which also stars Lou Diamond Phillips, Katee Sackhoff, Adam Bartley, and Cassidy Freeman, could help fill the void left by the recently announced ending of Yellowstone, the current #1 show on television.

Ever since Longmire went off the air in 2017, fans of both the show and Johnson’s New York Times bestselling series have held out hope that a reunion or revival (even a miniseries) might one day happen. And while the idea of such a reunion has been teased and floated in past years, the calls for action are only growing louder, with Collider recently running their own piece on the topic, which you can read here.

Essentially, in their fantastic write-up that went live only 24 hours ago, Collider pleads with the powers that be by stating that “there’s never been a better time for Walt Longmire to get back in the saddle,” and they’re absolutely right. Among their major points worth highlighting, they wrote:

Most importantly, though, Micahel John Petty, who wrote on behalf of Collider to build the case for Longmire‘s return, hammers home the point that “Longmire can fill the void left by Yellowstone,” which is said the be gearing up for its final season as Kevin Costner, who plays the show’s patriarch, ranch-owner John Dutton, departs to focus on his own Western multi-picture epic called Horizon: An American Saga. Moreover, not only do we know that Western-themed shows (and books, for that matter) can draw massive numbers, but coupled with the fact that we’ve seen a surge in book-to-streaming adaptions lately—headlined by Prime Video’s Reacher, Jack Ryan, and The Terminal List—getting the cast of Longmire back together for a reunion seems like a no-brainer. After all, it was television’s most popular Western well before Yellowstone ever took off. Who’s to say that it couldn’t reclaim that title again?

We’ll get to the books in a second, but one indicator that a healthy and robust fanbase still remains for Longmire is that “Longmire Days” continues to thrive. Taking place in Buffalo, Wyoming, and hosted by the Longmire Foundation, more than 15,000 people continue to travel each year to attend the multi-day festival that’s packed with events ranging from meet-and-greets with actors from the show (yes, even Robert Taylor attends), interviews, writing workshops, and a parade. This year’s Longmire Days dates were only recently announced. You can find more information about that here.

On the publishing side of things, Craig Johnson’s series is selling better than ever. I’ve written extensively about Johnson, his series, why readers seem to love the books, and even the surprising link to Longmire and Book Spy readers. His next novel, First Frost, will hit bookstores on May 28th. You can read all about it here.

While it does certainly feel like Walt Longmire is the hero we need at a time when we need him most, and there’s no doubt bringing back the show would cause quite a stir for all the best reasons imaginable, there’s still been no official word about a potential reunion. Thankfully fans have the books to keep them company as they wait, hoping that someone will green-light Longmore back into production.

What about you? Join the discussion and let me know if you’d like to see more Longmire on the small screen and any other thoughts you might have about a potential revival.

Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, is also in bookstores, and his third book, OUT FOR BLOOD, comes out on June 4th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. To interact with other readers and talk about your favorite books and authors, join The Real Book Spy’s Discord server.