Mother of Mercy, is This the End of Al Swearengen?

It recently came to The Home Office’s attention that HBO has not picked up the option for a fourth season of its epic Western, Deadwood. As Deadwood is one of the two best shows on television, and the announcement was made after the current season was in the can but not yet aired, none of the ongoing story lines will be tied up properly. For Deadwood fans, that’s a serious bummer.

Below is the letter sent to HBO by The Home Office. For a somewhat more erudite take, see John McNally’s blog at http://americasreportcard.blogspot.com/2006/05/deadwood-rip.html

For information on how you may be able to help to avert this travesty, see

http://savedeadwood.net/index.htm

To HBO:

I just learned the HBO has yet to renew its options for a fourth season of Deadwood. I am writing to implore you to reconsider. I realize no program runs forever, but to terminate Deadwood without allowing the creators to wrap up the story lines would be a disservice to the large number of HBO subscribers who maintain their subscriptions mainly for shows such as Deadwood.

I recently analyzed my HBO viewing habits, and realized all I watch are Deadwood and The Sopranos; I'd be hard pressed to say which of the two I prefer. Novelist John McNally has compared Deadwood's writing to Shakespeare, a conclusion my Spousal Equivalent came to halfway through Season 1.

I have already bought Season 1 of Deadwood on DVD. From a strictly marketing perspective, I would expect DVD sales would be much greater for a complete series then for one with important story lines left incomplete.

HBO has long been associated with the highest level of television art, from Band of Brothers through The Sopranos to Deadwood. Please don't besmirch this legacy by allowing Deadwood to end before it's time. It would be the hoopleheaded thing to do.