# Deadwood - Why did it die? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadwood-why-did-it-die/411156 "2007-07-10T03:40:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solkoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadwood-why-did-it-die/411156/1 "2007-07-10T03:40:50Z")
Was Deadwood cancelled or was it planned to last only three years? ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadwood-why-did-it-die/411156/2 "2007-07-10T03:52:36Z")
[QUOTE=solkoe] Was Deadwood cancelled or was it planned to last only three years? [/QUOTE] HBO released the actors from their contracts, effectively cancelling it. [More here.](http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/02/DDGJVJ5CO41.DTL) I’ve also read that David Chase wanted to move on to something else, though I don’t know if this was to the exclusion of Deadwood, or in addition. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadwood-why-did-it-die/411156/3 "2007-07-10T03:59:40Z")
Most of the cast were only signed for three seasons and HBO declined to pick up their options. HBO and creator David Milch agreed on two two-hour movies to make up for a fourth season. As of this January, Milch intends to start work on the first movie this summer, after production has finished on his current series, “John from Cincinnati.” [Deadwood movies still alive](http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-davidmilchdeadwoodmovies,0,2242495.story?coll=zap-news-headlines) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadwood-why-did-it-die/411156/4 "2007-07-10T04:03:13Z")
[QUOTE=porcupine] HBO released the actors from their contracts, effectively cancelling it. [More here.](http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/02/DDGJVJ5CO41.DTL) I’ve also read that David Chase wanted to move on to something else, though I don’t know if this was to the exclusion of Deadwood, or in addition. [/QUOTE] David **Milch** was the producer of “Deadwood”, and of course his other project is “John From Cincinnati.” ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadwood-why-did-it-die/411156/5 "2007-07-10T04:10:51Z")
In the Season 3 DVD commentary the actors (namely W. Earl Brown) talked about the made for TV movie (or two) as a distinct possibility. …and other posters beat me to additional pearls I had written… But I’ll add that I hope _John…_ dies early to free Milch up for the Deadwood movies - sorry to anyone who watches the show. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadwood-why-did-it-die/411156/6 "2007-07-10T04:12:10Z")
[QUOTE=cochrane] David **Milch** was the producer of “Deadwood”, and of course his other project is “John From Cincinnati.” [/QUOTE] D’oh. Of course you’re right.