Debapriya Bhattacharya
Developed by Sterlin Harjo, FX series ‘The Lowdown’ tells the story of Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), a bookstore owner and self-proclaimed “truthstorian” who is obsessed with uncovering buried secrets in his hometown of Tulsa. Lee’s determination to expose corruption within his community puts him in the path of direct conflict with the criminal underbelly of the region. His actions take him away from his 14-year-old daughter, Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), who desperately wishes to accompany her father on his adventures. Loosely inspired by citizen journalist and self-taught historian Lee Roy Chapman, the historical drama series includes the rustic small town locales, from church to stores and lodges, accentuating the narrative surrounding the personality.
The Lowdown Filming Locations
In line with the life of Lee Roy Chapman, the tale of Lee Raybon takes place in the state of Oklahoma, especially in Tulsa, Bartlesville, Collinsville, Claremore, and Bixby. While the pilot was reportedly filmed between April and May 2024, the rest of the episodes were likely lensed between February and May 2025 under the working title ‘The Sensitive Kind.’ Real properties were used as set pieces for the production, such as shops, streets, schools, diners, and a ranch. The landlocked Sooner State is known for its predominantly rustic ambience and diverse landscape. The narrative of ‘The Lowdown’ is accentuated by the great plains and prairies, as well as forests, plateaus, and sand dunes that form the backdrop of the scenes.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
The majority of the scenes for ‘The Lowdown’ were filmed in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma. The city is known for art deco architecture, as well as a bustling urban lifestyle. With the story firmly rooted in the history of the city and its inhabitants, filming took place in real locations as well as on sets constructed all over the area. One of the latter is the bookstore owned by Lee Raybon called Hoot Owl Books, named after the Oak Tree Books that Lee Roy Chapman frequented. It was built near 1328 East 6th Street in the Pearl District. A real location on the same street is the Nothing’s Left Brewing Co., 1502 East 6th Street, where multiple scenes were reportedly lensed.
Another street in the same district used for shooting is South Quaker Avenue, and multiple night shoots took place in both locations. Downtown Tulsa is another prominent filming location. The city skyline formed the backdrop for many scenes, while locations like Magic City Books at 221 East Archer Street feature in the pilot episode. The Mexican food joint Calaveras at 2326 East Admiral Boulevard and the surrounding area also make an appearance, alongside the Tulsa School of Arts & Sciences at 1202 West Easton Street, and Owen Park at 560 North Maybelle Avenue.
The private diner club sequences were lensed at Harwelden Mansion at 2210 South Main Street, while POSTOAK Lodge & Retreat at 5323 West 31st Street North stood in for an upscale spa. The scenes at the convenience store have reportedly been filmed at Dino Mart at 104 South Utica Avenue. Apart from ‘The Lowdown,’ the city was the chosen location for filming movies like ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ ‘The Outsiders,’ ‘The Killer Inside Me,’ ‘Rumble Fish,’ ‘Body Brokers,’ and ‘Run with the Hunted,’ as well as shows such as ‘Tulsa King,’ ‘Gospel Bill,’ ‘Unlawful,’ and ‘Trauma Bonded.’
Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Another prominent shooting location for ‘The Lowdown’ is Bartlesville, situated approximately 45 miles north of Tulsa. The urban landscape, interspersed with open areas, made the city the perfect location for the production of the historical drama. One of the locales, Hughes Ranch at 63 County Road 2696, near the main city, was utilized in a few scenes involving Lee. Other projects that have Bartlesville as the backdrop are ‘August: Osage County,’ ‘To the Wonder,’ ‘Everything to Me,’ ‘Tortured for Christ,’ ‘Pruning the Family Tree,’ ‘Every Hidden Thing,’ and many more.
Collinsville, Oklahoma
The city of Collinsville is located about 21 miles north of Tulsa and has been used for additional filming of ‘The Lowdown.’ The Jack of Clubs, a vibrant bar located in the heart of the city at 11907 North 113th East Avenue, is where the bar interiors for the series have been captured. In addition to ‘The Lowdown,’ movies like ‘Eye of God,’ ‘The Brick House,’ and ‘Down the Road,’ and short films like ‘Richard Wurmbrands: Taps on the Walls’ and ‘Green Demise’ have been filmed in the region.
Claremore, Oklahoma
Another location used for the filming of ‘The Lowdown’ is the city of Claremore, where the establishment Dot’s Cafe at 310 West Will Rogers Boulevard stood in for a country diner. Situated roughly 29 miles north-east of Tulsa, Claremore has served as the shooting location for both big and small screen projects such as ‘What Doesn’t Kill Me,’ ‘A Christmas… Present,’ ‘When Animals Adopt,’ ‘Ribbon,’ ‘War,’ ‘Kreepy Kek and the Legend of the Ten Soda Cans,’ and ‘Reservation Dogs.’
Bixby, Oklahoma
The city of Bixby is surrounded by expansive natural landscapes, such as parks, lakes, and agricultural regions. Some of the sequences of ‘The Lowdown’ were reportedly captured on a vacant property at 17808 South 129th East Avenue in the area. Situated approximately 22 miles south of Tulsa, the region has been used as a filming destination for projects like ‘Tex,’ ‘Self-Delusion and Other Obstacles,’ ‘A Smile from the Dark,’ ‘The Dellville Witch,’ ‘Multiverse Madness,’ ‘Torment,’ ‘Foxhole,’ and many more.
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