Forged in grit and dust of Texas – Great Western drama The SON

Nigel Booth follows gritty Texan family drama

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A slow, sometimes dark and rich burning American Western drama set in 1849 and 1915, The Son is a tale of one family's rise to riches and the trials and tribulations they go through along the way.

The series of season one, based on the novel by Phillip Meyer and now showing on My5 as a box set, is a multi-generational history following the McCullough family over 150 years, showing their rise to wealth in Texas from their cattle ranch to creation of an oil dynasty.

The story is interspersed with flashbacks to a young Eli McCullough's kidnapping by Comanches in 1849 and how the traumatic experience shapes his personality and determination to succeed in life.

As with many families who come from nothing to succeed it explores the ruthless rise of the McCullough family's power and wealth through the eyes of Eli McCullough (Pierce Brosnan).

It follows his story, as he grows from a young man shaping his wits under the Comanches into a ruthless father, often locking horns with his rivals and even fighting against his own sons, as he struggles to build a lasting legacy for his family.