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.

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

A hell of a place to make your fortune.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | History | Western

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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

Despite appearing in 32 out of 36 episodes, Jeffrey Jones (Merrick) was listed as a guest star in the first season. Similarly, Gerald McRaney (George Hurst) received a "special guest star" credit in Season 3, even though he appeared in all 12 episodes of that season.

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Goofs

The series shows Seth Bullock and Sol Starr witness Wild Bill Hickok's arrival in Deadwood, however in reality, Wild Bill arrived in Deadwood two weeks prior to Bullock. Bullock arrived in Deadwood on 1 August 1876, the day before Bill was killed by Jack McCall.

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Quotes

Al Swearengen: Wild Bill Hickok and those two guys that walked past you downstairs save the squarehead kid; tell Ned to stick around so they see what the kid has to say about him.
Persimon Phil: Wild Bill Hickok?
Al Swearengen: And Ned throws down...
Persimon Phil: Against Wild Bill Hickok?
Al Swearengen: Against Hickok and this other cocksucker who draws almost as fast, so it's a toss-up who blew Ned's head off.

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Connections

Referenced in Bum Reviews: Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (2011)

User Reviews

Very simply magnificent

Ian McShane as the evil Al has established himself as one of the greatest actors of the moment and of the time. He's up there with Pacino, DeNiro and Keitel. The magnificent writing and directing of Deadwood support him completely in mesmerizing the audience. This is for my money the finest work being done on television today. The show has a sure moral compass and a daring to take the violence to the level of Shakespeare or the Greek Tragedy while maintaining verisimilitude with brilliant dialogue and perfect art and set direction, as well as a flawless supporting cast each of whom engages us immediately and convincingly no matter how intimate or distant the focus might be. I can't get enough of this show. I want to see it all in reruns, to cherish it later on DVD. Each episode is fresh and surprising and at times astonishing. But Ian McShane steals the show, no question of it. His face is profoundly expressive and his lines are so marvelous that some of them surely must be ad lib. The guy's a scoundrel but my heart's breaking for him. The Season Finale was the single greatest television drama I've ever seen. We have here a villain who isn't morally bankrupt. And thank heaven, we have a show runner and a writer who isn't morally bankrupt either. Bravo!! I've run out of superlatives. Please, more. And more. And more.