Synopses & Reviews
With the debut of
Deadwood on HBO, a vision of the "Old West" emerged that was unlike anything done before on TV. David Milch, also the creator of
NYPD Blue, imbued the series with his signature use of harsh language, complex storylines, and shocking acts of violence. The characters he created redefined the hackneyed stereotypes of the Western genre, from the harassed but defiant "Chinaman," Mr. Wu, to the murderous, ferociously funny Al Swearengen, to the whiskey-drinking Calamity Jane who's only too happy to help her friend run the new brothel in town.
Reading Deadwood offers an entertaining and eye-opening look into everything from the use of profanity, the characters, and the way the show bends the genre, to subjects like prostitution, race, and the making of American civil society. Complete with episode and character guides, no fan of
Deadwood--and no one interested in Westerns--should be without this book.
Synopsis
Apart from its brilliance as television, it's amazing what Deadwood gets away with. This acclaimed series from HBO, which premiered in 2004, is set in the teeming outlaw camp of 'Deadwood'. It has been described by Variety as 'a vulgar, gritty, at times downright nasty take on the Old West brimming with all the dark genius that series creator and sceenwriter extraordinaire David Milch has at his fingertips'. All this and more. The international cast of authoritative contributors assess Deadwood's many facets: its profane language, its characters, from Al Swearengen (who lives up to his name) and Calamity Jane, to B.B. Farnham and Mr. Wu, its place in the western genre, Deadwood and serial fiction, prostitution, the making of American civil society, Deadwood's Chinese, the opening credits, Reverend Smith and much more. Episode and character guides complete the book - the Deadwood companion for fans and students to swear by.
About the Author
David Lavery is a world authority on television drama whose books include the recent
Reading the Sopranos (2006)
, as well as
This Thing of Ours: Investigating The Sopranos, Fighting the Forces: What's at Stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is also co-editor of
Slayage: The Online International Journal of Buffy Studies. He is a professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University.