On Thursday, July 11, 2024, OETA partnered with the Oklahoma Territorial Museum in Guthrie, Oklahoma, to host a premiere screening of the latest episode of the Emmy award-winning series “Back in Time.” The episode, titled “The Three Guardsmen,” premiered on-air at 7 p.m. that evening.
The event began with a demonstration of The Three Guardsmen by Prairie Grass Productions' reenactors:
John Pryor as Deputy U.S. Marshal Bill Tilghman, Dexter Bolin as Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas, and Woody Foreman as Deputy U.S. Marshal Chris Madsen. (pictured top right)
Then there was a screening of the most recent Back in Time installment, "The Three Guardsmen," written and produced by Robert Burch and Ryan Lorg.
Following the screening, Robert Burch of OETA moderated a panel discussion featuring John Pryor, Co-Founder of Prairie Grass Productions, Dee Cordry, Author and Oklahoma Historian, and Michael Williams, Curator for Oklahoma Territorial Museum.
After the panel discussion, the guests were given the opportunity to ask questions of the experts. One guest asked about the future of Oklahoma history and the stories of the West, particularly in relation to the many television series and films that cover these topics.
Michael Williams of the Oklahoma Territorial Museum responded, "There has never been more interest in the Old West and Oklahoma History than there is right now... There is a lot to look forward to. Television and movies are a great gateway into history. Oftentimes, people get confused about what is true history and what is folklore or added to fit the narrative... You need to come to places like this to get the real history and not the fantasy. I want people to use the gateway to get them interested and come talk to me."
Guests were then invited to join the various other Prairie Grass reenactors, including Roy Williams as Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, Chris Hardy as Deputy U.S. Marshal Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton, and Donna Rosenwinke as Deputy U.S. Marshal Ada Curnutt for photos at a booth provided by Snap Me Crazy Photo Booths.
