Deadwood
Deadwood is an American Western television series that aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006. The series is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before and after the area's annexation by the Dakota Territory, and charts Deadwood's growth from camp to town. The show was created, produced, and largely written by David Milch. Deadwood features a large ensemble cast headed by Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane, playing the real-life Deadwood residents Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen, respectively. Many other historical figures appear as characters, including George Crook, Wyatt Earp, E. B. Farnum, George Hearst, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Sol Star, A. W. Merrick, Jack McCall, and Charlie Utter. The plot lines involving these characters include historical truths as well as substantial fictional elements. Milch used actual diaries and newspapers from 1870s Deadwood residents as reference points for characters, events, and the look and feel of the show.
Plot
The first season takes place in 1876, six months after the founding of the camp, soon after Custer's Last Stand. Seth Bullock leaves his job as a marshal in Montana to establish a hardware business in the gold-mining camp of Deadwood, along with his friend and business partner, Sol Star. Wild Bill Hickok, the infamous gunslinger of the west, is on a separate journey to Deadwood, accompanied by Charlie Utter and Calamity Jane. Al Swearengen is the owner of The Gem, a local saloon and brothel. Other notable residents include Dr. Amos Cochran; A. W. Merrick, owner and editor of the local newspaper "The Pioneer"; and E. B. Farnum, proprietor of The Grand Central Hotel.
Awards
Cast
- Alice Krige
- Anna Gunn
- Austin Nichols
- Brad Dourif
- Brent Sexton
- Brian E. Cox
- Cleo King
- Dayton Callie
- Franklyn Ajaye
- Garret Dillahunt
- Gerald McRaney
- Geri Jewell
- Ian McShane
- Izabella Miko
- Jeffrey Jones
- Jim Beaver
- John Hawkes
- Keith Carradine
- Keone Young
- Kim Dickens
- Larry Cedar
- Leon Rippy
- Molly Parker
- Parisse Boothe
- Paula Malcomson
- Pavel Lychnikoff
- Peter Jason
- Powers Boothe
- Ray McKinnon
- Robin Weigert
- Sarah Paulson
- Sean Bridgers
- Stephen Tobolowsky
- Timothy Olyphant
- Titus Welliver
- W. Earl Brown
- William Sanderson