Premiering on January 20, 2026, and celebrating its 30th anniversary, The Lazarus Man is a fantastic, yet often overlooked, Western TV series from the 1990s. The show was unfortunately canceled after just one season, but it told the compelling story of James Cathcart – known as Lazarus – a Civil War veteran with amnesia. Played by Robert Urich, Lazarus attempts to uncover his mysterious past after miraculously surviving being buried alive.
Originally broadcast on TNT in 1996, The Lazarus Man was a 22-episode series from Castle Rock Entertainment. It’s a relic of a time when people planned their week around watching shows when they first aired. Today, it’s largely forgotten – you won’t find it on any streaming services – but some episodes are available to watch on YouTube.
‘The Lazarus Man’s Mysterious, Religious Premise Was Ahead of Its Time
Castle Rock Entertainment/TNT
Created by Dick Bebee for Castle Rock Entertainment, The Lazarus Man featured a unique, almost spiritual storyline that was innovative for television at the time. The show centers around a man who mysteriously comes back to life one day after being buried alive, though he has no memory of his past. Known only as Lazarus (played by Robert Urich), he’s haunted by a recurring nightmare of an attack by a man wearing a derby hat.
The show follows Lazarus as he tries to figure out his identity and who buried him alive, unraveling the story in reverse. Eventually, it’s revealed he’s actually James Cathcart, a former Union soldier who used to be one of President Lincoln’s bodyguards. Haunted by guilt over Lincoln’s assassination, Cathcart slowly remembers his past and discovers a large-scale conspiracy.
Despite running for 22 weeks on TNT, The Lazarus Man is largely unknown and has been mostly forgotten. It has a very low number of votes on IMDb – only 284 – and hasn’t received a rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Surprisingly, the show performed well enough to earn a second season, but unfortunately, the lead actor’s health issues led the network to cancel it.
Why ‘The Lazarus Man’ Was Canceled After One Season
Castle Rock Entertainment/TNT
The first fifteen episodes of The Lazarus Man originally aired from January to May 1996, with the remaining seven episodes following in October. After the series ended in November 1996, it had good ratings, leading TNT to renew it for a second season. The network also agreed to pay Robert Urich $1.47 million for his work on the new season.
Sadly, actor Robert Urich’s health worsened after he was diagnosed with synovial cell sarcoma in July 1996. Because of this, the show was cancelled after just one season. Urich then sued the production company, Castle Rock Entertainment, claiming they broke their contract. He argued that despite receiving cancer treatment during filming, he hadn’t told Castle Rock he might not be able to continue with his work on the show.
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Despite its initial run, The Lazarus Man didn’t get a second season. Castle Rock wouldn’t pay actor Robert Urich the $1.47 million he had earned for potential Season 2 work. Urich sued, but the case was ultimately settled privately for an unknown amount of money.
With its innovative plot, intriguing and mysterious storyline inspired by biblical themes, and Sam Urich’s strong lead performance, it’s easy to wonder how successful The Lazarus Man could have been if it had lasted longer than its single season of 22 episodes.
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2026-01-20 20:07