RIVERTON — Wyoming PBS and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West have released their inaugural joint production featuring a conversation with historians Dr. Paul Hutton and Peter Cozzens about their new books exploring the American West.

The show, “From the Center of the West: A Conversation with Authors Dr. Paul Hutton and Peter Cozzens,” is available to view on the Wyoming PBS YouTube Channel at youtube.com/watch?v=I_llX67vioo. The production marks the first step in a partnership between the two organizations, establishing a collaborative effort designed to share authentic Western heritage with the world.  

The forthcoming series, tentatively called “From the Center of the West,” will bring to life the people, artifacts, and ideas that define the American West and Wyoming’s unique and enduring role within it. It will highlight the storytelling opportunities found within the Center’s five museums: the Buffalo Bill Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, Plains Indian Museum, and Cody Firearms Museum. 

“This collaboration allows us to share the depth and complexity of the American West in a way that connects history and storytelling,” says Wyoming PBS CEO Joanna Kail. “We’re excited to continue this partnership and bring new conversations to life.”

In this first 30-minute show, Hutton and Cozzens sit down with Tim White at the Center in Cody and unravel the truth behind the myths that shaped America’s frontier. They explore topics, including Native American history and representation, the cultural legacy of Buffalo Bill, and how greed, hope, and reinvention built a nation. 

Hutton discusses his book, “The Undiscovered Country,” which sweeps across 150 years and seven generations of people. Cozzens, author of “Deadwood,” focuses on the middle 1870s and a small town that had more tall tales, myths, lies, and truths than residents.

The show broadcasts on Wyoming PBS at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 15, 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 18, and 7 p.m. on Dec. 30.