Big Screen Little Screen

Undoubtedly a segment of Sopranos fans are still grimacing over the abrupt blackout of a series closer, but at least they never got the kick in the ass that fell upon Deadwood watchers. Last week, during an interview with Cinematical, Ian McShane divulged the disappointing news: despite HBO’s claims over the past year that two 2-hour movies were still in the pipeline to endcap the series, in reality the Deadwood set was being torn down. Said McShane, “I just got a call on Friday from … a dear friend of mine, who told me that they’re packing up the ranch. They’re dismantling the ranch and taking the stuff out. That ship is gonna sail. Bonsoir, Deadwood.”

In a follow up story, another castmember - W. Earl Brown, weighed in - unfavorably comparing the cut-off to how The Sopranos went out, saying it was “either great or awful (depending on one’s interpretation of it) but at least it got people talking. Deadwood – it just stopped. Just stopped. It’s like never finding out that ‘Rosebud’ was his sled or that Darth was Luke’s father. F*ck.”

If you recall, at the tail end of the last season, Al Swearengen (McShane) and rival George Hearst (Gerald McRaney, in a career performance) were at odds over the ownership of the mining town, ratcheting up tensions towards a conclusion that may have quite literally set Deadwood ablaze. If a revisit is truly not in the cards, HBO is missing an opportunity to go out with the bang that David Chase either didn’t want, or didn’t know how to produce with The Sopranos closer. I’ve got Deadwood in a three-way tie with network mates The Wire and The Sopranos as TV culture-shapers, and as of today HBO is 0 for 2 with a large number of fans on going out on the right note.

Now, in response to a fan’s written inquiry, HBO recalls the rationale for the cancellations of Deadwood and also that of creator David Milch’s subsequent series, John From Cincinnati. Posted in full on fan site SaveDeadwood.net the letter cites a handful of reasons why both series failed to earn new season orders, while offering a glimpse into the decision making processes over at the network when it comes to new and returning shows. HBO says that although they’re “not in the ratings business…each show on the service has to justify its existence since money spent on one show means money unavailable for something else.”

Vulture provides some “PR Flack–to–English” translations of the letter, while taking a few well-aimed swipes at David Milch and a more recent target, Tell Me You Love Me.