Genre: TV Series (HBO)
Grade: A
Notable People: Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, John Hawkes, Molly Parker, William Sanderson, Kim Dickens, Powers Booth, Keith Carradine, Paula Malcomson, Robin Wiegert, Brad Dourff, Created by: David Milch
Title: Deadwood
Review: When David Milch turned his attention from Hill St. Blues and NYPD Blue in the early 2000’s, I was not that interested in a serial western. Tried it out it few times and found it to be quite strange. but this summer, we went back and watched all three seasons…and the movie completed and released fourteen years after the show ended. This is a certifiable masterpiece- a rendering of the old West unique to any before or since. Dark, dirty, pathetic, comical…and very, very gritty. An extraordinary ensemble cast led by the powerhouse McShane and the truly weird Olyphant, a lot of it is loosely based historically accurate characters in the wild and wooly days of the settling of South Dakota during the Gold Rush. Tragic, violent at times, wholly unpredictable end with a deep vein of dark humor running through it….this show is well worth devoting a month to watching. The show was unexpectedly cancelled in 2004 after the third seasons amidst a lot of controversy..…and finished without any type of ending (at the time it was supposed to be only the season ender in front of fourth season). So an ailing Mulch decided to provide a real ending with The Deadwood movie, FOURTEEN years alter…and got everyone who was still alive to come back and reprise their roles. An amazing amount of time between endings……and well worth the wait. A real gem.