Chattanooga Times Free Press

‘Deadwood’ movie gets HBO greenlight

- BY LYNN ELBER

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — A roundup of news from the Television Critics Associatio­n summer meeting, at which TV networks and streaming services are presenting details on upcoming programs.

BACK TO THE BLACK HILLS

“Deadwood” fans can exhale. HBO said it’s greenlight­ed a long-discussed movie based on the Western drama that ended a dozen years ago.

HBO programmin­g chief Casey Bloys said Wednesday production is scheduled to begin in October. An air date has yet to be set but it could debut in spring 2019, he said.

Bloys told a TV critics’ meeting it was a logistical “nightmare” getting the ensemble cast’s schedules to align, but it finally worked out.

The critically acclaimed, award-winning “Deadwood” was set in the rough-andtumble South Dakota mining town of the title.

The series aired from 2004-06 with stars including Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane and Molly Parker.

It was created by David Milch, known for his work on the contempora­ry police dramas “NYPD Blue” and “Hill Street Blues.”

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP

Bloys pushed back Wednesday against the possibilit­y that the cable channel will suffer under new owner AT&T.

Casey Bloys, speaking to a meeting of TV critics, said there are no plans to choose volume over quality for its shows.

“No one is asking us to take pitches of a ‘Love Boat’ reboot or anything like that,” he said.

As support, Bloys cited comments made during an earnings call Tuesday by John Stankey, who manages the new AT&T division that includes HBO and other Time Warner media assets. AT&T acquired Time Warner in an $85 billion deal concluded earlier this month.

Stankey said the aim was to invest more in premium content at HBO, home to “Game of Thrones,” ”Big Little Lies” and “Westworld.” In contrast, he reportedly told HBO staff recently to prepare for a difficult year.

Bloys called Tuesday’s remarks “music to our ears.”

Time Warner had curtailed programmin­g investment as it readied itself for sale “so this is the first time in a long time we’ve heard anybody talking about investing in programmin­g,” he said.

HBO has long held the high ground in acclaimed shows but is facing challenges from big-spending newcomers including streaming services Netflix and Amazon. In the recently announced Emmy nomination­s, Netflix ended HBO’s 17-year streak as the most-nominated outlet by snagging 112 bids to HBO’s 108.

The outcome was unsurprisi­ng given the overall volume of programmin­g, Bloys said, a reference to the phenomenon dubbed “peak TV” that has given viewers nearly 500 series.

Getting four fewer nomination­s “is not going to change the type of programs that we develop and produce at all,” he said, but added HBO does face the challenge of creating more programmin­g without changing its approach.

“So that’s what we’re in discussion now. What’s the right level for us with this increased funding?” he said.

 ?? AP FILE PHOTO BY KEVORK DJANSEZIAN ?? Actors Ian McShane, who portrays Al Swearengen, and Paula Malcomson, who portrays Trixie, prepare for a scene on the set of HBO’s ‘Deadwood’ in 2005 in Santa Clarita, Calif. HBO greenlight­ed Wednesday a long-discussed movie based on the western drama...
AP FILE PHOTO BY KEVORK DJANSEZIAN Actors Ian McShane, who portrays Al Swearengen, and Paula Malcomson, who portrays Trixie, prepare for a scene on the set of HBO’s ‘Deadwood’ in 2005 in Santa Clarita, Calif. HBO greenlight­ed Wednesday a long-discussed movie based on the western drama...

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States