Raylan Givens fans are in for something of a dry spell. Now that the second season of FX's outstanding 'Justified' is over, we'll likely have to wait until early 2012 to see the U.S. Marshall again. The good news is that we'll also get a new Raylan Givens novel, appropriately titled 'Raylan,' from Elmore Leonard early next year.

At the Peabody Awards ceremony on Monday, Leonard spoke about the show -- the first television adaptation of his work to have both staying power and critical acclaim -- and I also sat down to talk with Graham Yost, the show's creator and executive producer, about what transpired in season 2 and where the show might go in season 3.

There are no spoilers as such in what's below, but it sounds as though the stories of Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) and fellow Harlan, Kentucky native Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) will be even more deeply intertwined going forward.

Hands down, 'Justified' gets my vote as the best show on TV this season. The FX drama has shown absolutely no signs of a sophomore slump, with storylines that continue to explore the complexities of life in small-town Kentucky and U.S. marshal Raylan Givens' (the Emmy-worthy Timothy Olyphant) ongoing struggle to find out whether or not he fits in in his old stomping grounds.



A couple more performances Emmy voters should note: Walton Goggins, who continues to be fascinating to watch as Raylan's frenemy Boyd Crowder, and this season's big scene-stealer, newbie cast member Margo Martindale as moonshiner Mags Bennett, Harlan County's answer to Tony Soprano.