Deadwood (2004–2006)

A show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.

Creator:

David Milch

Stars:

Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 16 wins & 48 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Timothy Olyphant	...	Seth Bullock (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Ian McShane	...	Al Swearengen (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Molly Parker	...	Alma Garret (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Brad Dourif	...	Doc Cochran (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
W. Earl Brown	...	Dan Dority (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
John Hawkes	...	Sol Star (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Paula Malcomson	...	Trixie (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Dayton Callie	...	Charlie Utter (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Leon Rippy	...	Tom Nuttall (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
William Sanderson	...	E.B. Farnum (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Robin Weigert	...	Calamity Jane (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Sean Bridgers	...	Johnny Burns (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Jim Beaver	...	Whitney Ellsworth (35 episodes, 2004-2006)
Jeffrey Jones	...	A.W. Merrick (35 episodes, 2004-2006)
Bree Seanna Wall	...	Sofia Metz (35 episodes, 2004-2006)
Kim Dickens	...	Joanie Stubbs (34 episodes, 2004-2006)
Powers Boothe	...	Cy Tolliver (34 episodes, 2004-2006)
Titus Welliver	...	Silas Adams (27 episodes, 2004-2006)
Peter Jason	...	Con Stapleton (26 episodes, 2004-2006)
Anna Gunn	...	Martha Bullock (24 episodes, 2005-2006)
Larry Cedar	...	Leon (24 episodes, 2004-2006)
Geri Jewell	...	Jewel (22 episodes, 2004-2006)
Ralph Richeson	...	Richardson (19 episodes, 2004-2006)
Keone Young	...	Mr. Wu (18 episodes, 2004-2006)
Garret Dillahunt	...	Francis Wolcott (16 episodes, 2004-2005)

Storyline

The town of Deadwood, South Dakota in the weeks following the Custer massacre is a lawless sinkhole of crime and corruption. Into this uncivilized outpost ride a disillusioned and bitter ex-lawman, Wild Bill Hickok, and Seth Bullock, a man hoping to find a new start for himself. Both men find themselves quickly on opposite sides of the legal and moral fence from Al Swearengen, saloon owner, hotel operator, and incipient boss of Deadwood. The lives of these three intertwine with many others, the high-minded and the low-lifes who populate Deadwood in 1876.

---

Plot Keywords:

south dakota | saloon | mining town | female nudity | tough guy | 

---

Taglines:

Fortune comes with a price.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | History | Western

---

Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

HBO [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deadwood, pueblo corrupto

Filming Locations:

Frazier Park, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Paramount Network Television, Home Box Office (HBO), Paramount Network Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, David Fincher was set to direct the pilot.

---

Goofs

In one scene set in the Gem Saloon, the tune to "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" is played on the piano. This song was composed in 1912, and the show is set in 1876-77.

---

Quotes

Al Swearengen: [while having his prick sucked] Wo-wo-wo-woah, you got a stage to catch or somethin'? Slow... the fuck... up.

---

Connections

Referenced in Brows Held High: Me and You and Everyone We Know (2011)

User Reviews

Rough, gritty, realistic portrayal of Western history

Judging by other comments, the realistic portrayal of the crude language and immorality may be a bit too much for those used to tame, glossy horse operas where the Good are very, very good and the Bad are very, very bad.

As for the language being "over the top," anyone who's spent time in an Army unit or aboard ship in wartime knows this is EXACTLY the kind of language young men under stress use, and probably even worse back in the late eighteenth century when most of them were uneducated, illiterate and had a projected life span of around 30. If they were lucky.

Most people familiar with authentic Western history will recognize this as a very accurate portrayal of Deadwood, or any other frontier boom town, with all its ugliness and warts. Like it or not, it's history. I think they did a superlative job so far (first two episodes).It also looks like it's going to be the most accurate version of Bill Hickock's death -- which was far more than just the simple barroom murder usually portrayed -- ever put on film.

The number of truly spectacular actors here is simply staggering. Ian McShane's riveting performance is no surprise for "Lovejoy" fans; he was long overdue for something equal to his talent. Who else stands out? Damn near everyone. Calamity Jane, Tolliver, Farnum, the Doc ... there aren't enough "supporting actor" awards from any source that could do justice to such a large, stand-out cast. For those of us who despair of the putrid crap in the theaters, peopled by actors who should be doing dinner theater in Dubuque, well... now we have hope. And DEADWOOD truly puts the lie to the propaganda about public broadcasting being necessary to provide "quality programming that commercial television just can't or won't do." In the entire history of public radio and TV they have NEVER reached this level of excellence even once -- yet cable (once referred to disparagingly as 'pay TV') pulls it off on a shoestring budget. Score one for capitalism.