The Mystery Behind Big Sky’s Short-lived Run On ABC

Big Sky was a fictional crime drama centered on murder, deception, and dark secrets, with Montana serving as its dramatic backdrop. The series seemed popular at first, but then it quietly disappeared. So, what happened to Big Sky?

Big Sky premiered on ABC in 2020, at a time when many people were stuck at home during social distancing. Like a lot of viewers, we watched TV shows and streamed content we might not have normally chosen. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Given the popularity of Montana and the ongoing obsession with crime dramas, it seemed like Big Sky was destined to be a hit. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.

READ MORE: New TV Show Trailer Puts Montana in the National Spotlight

I’ll be honest, I only made it through a few episodes of the first season. When the show depicted places like Yankee Jim Canyon near Yellowstone National Park as being covered in thick, mossy trees straight out of a swamp, it became clear that many Hollywood filmmakers don’t really understand what Montana actually looks like. Big Sky was set in Montana, but all of the filming was done elsewhere.

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If you need a reminder of what Big Sky was all about, here's an old trailer for season one.

The series followed two private investigators attempting to track down the person or people responsible for abducting and holding multiple women captive across Big Sky Country. Hence the name of the show. While the premise had potential, it didn’t exactly break new ground, and the title itself felt a little on the nose.

Big Sky lasted just three seasons before mysteriously disappearing from ABC’s primetime lineup. Which is somewhat ironic, considering the show revolved around people mysteriously disappearing.

Montana has been the filming location for several TV shows and movies over the years, with Yellowstone being the most successful by far. Speaking of which, Taylor Sheridan’s newest project, Madison, also filmed in Montana, is set to premiere on Paramount+ in March.