Deadwood: The HBO Series Will Return, Sort Of
Can fans save a show? Well, if they act quickly, try hard enough, and use financial pressure, the answer seems to be “Yes!” When it was announced that HBO would we cutting the wild-west Deadwood series short after three seasons, fans of the HBO series got, well, downright ornery! They signed petitions, took out an ad in Variety (a Hollywood trade paper), sent letters and made calls indicating that they would cancel their HBO subscriptions at the end of Deadwood’s third season (which recently started airing).
As a result, HBO and Deadwood creator David Milch have now come to an agreement. Deadwood will return following the third season… sort-of. Rather than a full-blown 12-episode season to complete the series (which would have been quite costly and now, very difficult to coordinate), HBO and Milch will instead produce a pair of two-hour movies.
But wait, hadn’t HBO previously offered to pay for a six-episode fourth season? How is this better? Milch has said that he wasn’t in favor of doing a six-episode season because each episode of Deadwood has typically represented one day in the lives of the characters and South Dakota area. Shifting to two-hour movies will allow him to break that format and to be able to complete the storytelling he had for the final season. Milch has said that he’s thrilled that they worked out a way to continue Deadwood past the third season.
But what about the series actors that were released from their contracts over a month ago. Can HBO get them back? Though Deadwood cast members have not been signed for the movie projects as yet, it seems clear that HBO intends to do all it can to work out this aspect as well. One source has reported that HBO intends to “make it worth their while.” No doubt. Wouldn’t want to upset these fans . . . 
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Deadwood on DVD
January 2nd, 2007 at 4:00 am
We really like the Deadwood HBO Series. We live so far out that we don’t have cable and the satelite HBO just got turn OFF so we ordered the whole series to watch and keep….Now What! are we going to get the Third series to buy and what about thees movies…Why can’t they just stay with the program.
There just aren’t any WESTERN shows any longer. They were part of our Baby Boomer TV life style. Seems that older I get, the more they forget about US Baby Bomers. We spend 2 weeks almost every year in the BLACK HILLS of South Dakota, (Bike Rally). We love the area and the history. The Deadwood Series takes us there through out the year.Come on HBO, get your act together! Indiana love’s this show.
December 26th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
I used to think that network execs thought the viewers were too stupid to understand good tv when it came around. Now, HBO is doing it too. We subscribe to HBO for the quality of the shows, the exceptional actors and the interesting stories. Please don’t lower yourselves to the network’s level. We need some intellegence here! The Sopranos scheduling is just a joke and many of our fellow watchers say “who cares?” now. It has been jerked around so much that we’re not interested in waiting a year or two for it to air again. Carnivale? That was a very good show that disappeared. Everyone has bolted from the networks to watch the cable/satellite stations. Where else can we go?
December 16th, 2006 at 8:25 am
Yes….once again we are screwed by HBO. The only reason I pay for the channel is for the original programming. I realize that the production costs are high for quality, however I thought this was offset by not using A list actors.
HBO needs to make a decision on what direction they are going to go and then inform the subscribers. They are either going to be just another cabel channel with old films and sophmoric series or they are going to be high quality viewing worth the subscription price. Personally I would pay a higher premium for premium offerings like Deadwood.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
I have been watching HBO since 1997. First was OZ , which I thought was ground breaking, you took that away from me.Then you tease me with the Sopranos, forcing me to wait years between seasons. Thankfully , I won’t have to suffer waiting for the Sopranos to finalize, much longer.Now another great HBO show: DEADWOOD , an enjoyably graphic western that I really got into. You have partially taken that from me too. All I have left is ROME.Keep this up, and you won’t have me watching HBO anymore, because i’m going to cancel my subscription.
December 3rd, 2006 at 5:30 pm
I really like Deadwood so much as I took a vacation to Deadwood 2 years ago. It looks like the show for sure.
While we were eating lunch in the Gem we were told that some of the cast were in town for the day and we got to go to a meet and greet it was cool.
Please continue with this interesting story.
Thanks…
November 29th, 2006 at 10:54 pm
It is so depressing to think that my favorite tv series is now a rerun (which is better than nothing). I can’t believe that such a high calibre show is cancelled yet reality shows succeed ( Pleeeze no more f***king, c**ks*cking crap.The language issue is mute , ever see Caligula ? There were lots of naysayers to that movie, but it was truth and it was brilliant! History, people ..keep it real or else it is just more hollywood fodder. I believe the dumification of our tv culture is set. How sad, how sad.
November 29th, 2006 at 8:45 am
I agree the story may not have a lot of remaining ground to cover. However with each episode covering a day in Deadwood would that not leave at least 600 plus episodes for our enjoyment? At least before the main characters move on to other pursuits.
I sure miss the show! I hope we can get the movies at least to offer some type of conclusion.
November 27th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
HBO should continue the series just as it was. But first run the whole series from begining to end. I missed the first part and started from the end of the 2nd season. I was hooked rather quickly. This is the only series that I really enjoyed. If this does return to HBO I hope that it is with all of the original actors.
October 22nd, 2006 at 1:49 pm
I have never been more in love with a TV series before Deadwood and was very bummed out when I heard that the series was cancelled & the actors released.
But on further study about the actual time & place that the show Deadwood is set in, I’ve concluded that there really isn’t much more story to tell. In the next couple of years along this time line, the Gem burns down….a couple of times, along with a bunch of other buildings. The Gem is rebuilt into a theater of sorts….and burns down, and most of the colorful characters move to other parts of the country within a few years. They actually found an ok stopping point.
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-DeadwoodHBO.html
I am very much looking forward to seeing what David Milch has in store for us and really hope they can get all or most of the actors back.
They really are the heart of Deadwood!
A logical spin-off of this series would be to follow the life and travels of Seth Bullock.
October 22nd, 2006 at 1:43 pm
I have never been more in love with a TV series before Deadwood and was very bummed out when I heard that the series was cancelled & the actors released.
But on further study about the actual time & place that the show Deadwood is set in, I’ve concluded that there really isn’t much more story to tell. In the next couple of years along this time line, the Gem burns down….a couple of times, along with a bunch of other buildings. The Gem is rebuilt into a theater of sorts….and burns down, and most of the colorful characters move to other parts of the country within a few years. They actually found an ok stopping point.
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-DeadwoodHBO.html
I am very much looking forward to seeing what David Milch has in store for us and really hope they can get all or most of the actors back.
They really are the heart of Deadwood!
A logical spin-off of this series would be to follow the life and travels of Seth Bullock.
October 1st, 2006 at 5:28 pm
I have been e-mailing every week since I first heard that the had plans to kill of Deadwood. Unfortunely I’ve been e-mailing HBO. They obviously do not read their e-mails, or they just can’t read period. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be makeing the BIGGEST mistake in HBO history. Deadwood is without a doubt the BEST show on t.v. There is true history being shown with the best actors on television today. What idiots. I’m cancelling HBO. I like Big Love. But not that much.
September 23rd, 2006 at 5:53 pm
I travel the world often, and can’t find HBO Deadwood where it’s not greatly sensored, such as in the Philippines. Then I have a hard time seeing each episode. So my solution was tto buy the HBO Deadwood Box Set. Season one had me hooked! The best and most realistically historical show I’ve ever seen on TV. I let friends see my box set and they too were instantly hooked. I have many friends that have boght the box sets 1 and 2. They were super. I wish I could buy season 3 box set now as I missed it. When you have such a “Masterpiece” of story telling with characters that we begin to really care about and then for what ever reason just cancel it. It reminds me of the “suits at some studios that turned down “Superman the movie” or Star Wars, who are now forgotten and in a different line of work today.It would be a blesing if the Creator of Deadwood and HBO (or maybe Showtime?) will find a way to keep this true quality acting, story telling,and production alive and well for many years to come. Thanks so much.
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:35 am
It is quite astonishing that the decision was made so far in advance of the final showing although it appears really well set up for a return. How could Hearst just ride off into the ’sunset’ without any retribution from Al, Seth and even Johnny who really paid such a high price in the end.
The truth is the show has been a storming success here in the UK and how good it was to see an actor who typifies Englishness play the lead as Ian McShane has done but to be honest even the Deadwood set was star quality. I do sincerely hope the story will continue even if it is just to make sure Hearst gets his due deserts
September 17th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
I can’t believe they have cancelled Deadwood. Why not cancell something that people don’t care about. I am sick of the games that the networks play.
I remember when a show use to be on for a full season now they can get cancelled after one show. How do you know how a show is going to do if you don’t give it a chanse.
September 14th, 2006 at 2:26 pm
I can’t believe that HBO would even think of canceling Deadwood. I have been watching from the start and know that there is still a lot of story left to tell.
August 31st, 2006 at 12:27 pm
While I really enjoyed the first two seasons of Deadwood, this season was fantastic. Michael Harney as Steve was hilarious, and Gerald McRaney was so creepy. I’ve grown to love some of these characters, and except for the way he spared Trixie, found him even likeable this season.
Timothy Olyphant, as always, was great, and the writing was so intelligent. I had to reference the dictionary each week because I wondered how these crass, uneducated people in the late 1800s had a larger vocabulary than most of the college educated people I know. Some of the phrases that came out of these characters mouths was so poetic.
Wouldn’t it have been nice had someone killed Hearst for good, but then we might not have had “Citizen Kane.”
August 28th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
I just watched the season finale of the best show on television . I don’t understand how HBO couldn’t see that or listen to the fan response when all the talk about cancelling Deadwood was going on. I understand that there is more than likely a lot of other things that can complicate keeping a show on the air. Contract renewal, money issues, and other related topics. It’s just to bad for all the fans. I’m pretty much a TV show junkie and through out the years of my time with television this is one of the best shows I have ever watched. I am looking forward to the movies if they come out.
August 21st, 2006 at 12:11 pm
It is real simple. They set the bar and jerk it out from under you.
August 7th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
F**k HBO you suck, first you get rid of Carnivale now Deadwood, and I bet Rome will “cost to much” in the next year or so . You used to set the bar for shows now you follow network t.v. in shutting down good shows because “They cost to much” well now its going to get harder because not only am I going to cancel my subscrption to HBO but I know about 10,000 people in Indianpolis and I’ll do everything I can to get them to cancel, I’ll rent as many billboards that are available in the city to show that HBO sucks.
August 7th, 2006 at 8:51 am
I am so sick and tired of finding a great show to watch and then told it’s going to be taken off the air. Deadwood is by far the best show on TV because it is fresh, different and the only wild west show you can see every week for all those western fans out there. You would think an award- winning show like Deadwood would produce enough funds to keep it going. I’m sick of the hollywood folk making decisions without public opinion. We are ones who make or break shows (and stations) and it is about “f***ing” time someone listens to us.
(Also if people don’t want to hear the word “f**k” don’t look at the show or HBO. You only know what they are saying if you’re watching it. Remember people this is HBO not regular TV.) Although, if HBO doesn’t get their act together, I will be cancelling my subscription. I’m still upset about Sopranos, because you never know when and if they’re coming back, and once again we are getting screwed with the Deadwood series. Two movies is not a substitute for losing an award-winning series.