The original Lonesome Dove television miniseries was made and first aired in 1989.

It was broadcast in the United States on CBS over four nights from February 5 to 8, 1989, adapting Larry McMurtry’s 1985 novel into a four-part epic Western. This 1989 miniseries is what people usually mean when they ask “when was Lonesome Dove made,” even though later follow‑ups like Lonesome Dove: The Series (1994–1995) also exist.