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Twitter'Deadwood' is well and truly dead
This shouldn't come as too big a surprise, given that it's been nearly two years since Deadwood finished on HBO and its creator and a number of its actors have gone on to other things. But the two movies that supposedly would wrap up the series aren't going to happen.
That was the word this afternoon from Richard Plepler, co-president of HBO, and Michael Lombardo, president of the cable channel's programming group. "I think it's safe to report that the likelihood of a Deadwood movie happening is slim to none," is how Plepler put it.
To refresh: When Deadwood ended in August 2006 with more than a couple stories unresolved, and creator David Milch moved on to working on John From Cincinnati, HBO (under a previous management team, it should be noted) said it would film a pair of two-hour movies that would bring the tale of the lawless Dakota Territory town to a close.
Since then, status updates on the show have been a regular part of the HBO press tour sessions. Milch himself said in early 2007 that he was optimistic that the movies would get made and that he was working with Generation Kill author Evan Wright on the first of two scripts.
Milch is still working with HBO -- just not on Deadwood. He's collaborating with former New York cop and NYPD Blue writer-producer Bill Clark on Last of the Ninth, a pilot set in the corrupt NYPD of the early 1970s. Several of Deadwood's principal stars have also moved on -- Timothy Olyphant just began work on FX's Damages, and Ian McShane is starring in NBC's Kings, for instance.
Lombardo says talk of the Deadwood movies never got much past a "discussion stage," Milch's 2007 statements notwithstanding. "Some of it was a function of time, some of it was a function of intervening events," Lombardo says. "... It just did not ever really come together."
Had this announcement come, say, 12 or 18 months ago, I'd be employing all sorts of colorful Deadwood invective to describe it. Now, though, a wearied "c***suckers" will probably do. Can't say I'm thrilled to hear it, but I also can't say I'm in any way surprised.
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Totally sucks. HBO completely blew it on this from the moment Season 3 ended.
I've been on the fence about keeping or canceling HBO, especially with NFL season ticket starting up again. This has decided it for me. No Deadwood movies, no HBO for me.
Dare we put a posse together and take our pitchforks to the HBO headquarters to protest like they did with Jericho?
I am cancelling HBO, Deadwood was the best series ever made and they leave us all hanging. Why would I be a loyal customer when they arent loyal to us.
Very disappointing. Kept holding out hope. They really dropped the ball on this. Yet they'll keep trotting out stale Sopranos for 3 seasons too long. Now that 'The Wire' is off the air too, there is no sense in having HBO anymore.
HBO has no good shows anymore. All the good, original content has moved to Showtime. Its a network where they will actually keep shows on the air if the ratings are good, unlike HBO & their horrendous treatment of Lucky Louie. The Sopranos were good from Seasons 1 through 3 and the show was gasping for air the rest of the series, with unresolved plotlines, terrible pacing (a GangWar that is built-up for the ENTIRE RUN is started & finished in 6 episodes) & having guys like Frank Vincent completely steal the show from James Gandolfini. HBO is just done, their edgy content is over thanks to the current bosses & that was the reason why I switched to Showtime & am enjoying their shows which are similar in edge to what HBO shows USED to be.
Just a bunch of C***suckers... I can't believe this **** is for real! I'm belgian and watched deadwood on dvd, because it's not on the air in Belgium!! Great show, but now it's over... It's sad to feel the lack of respect you get as a viewer/payer/customer from these big 'entertainment' giants, all for the money!! I like the idea to take the pitchforks, just a way to get it of me, after Carnivale. GRTZ