The Chris Moeller Archives

Dismantling the ranch

Fans of the HBO series "Deadwood" haven't given up hope that a resurrection will take place that will give the show a proper send-off, either in the form of a one or two-part feature on the network, as has been long-rumored, or better yet, a full fourth and concluding season.

The writing's on the wall, however. Actor Ian McShane, who portrays Al Swearingen, tells an on-line columnist that the sets have come down. And he sounds pissed. W. Earl Brown, who plays Dan Doherty, has gone into greater detail on his myspace page.

HBO has also shared its side of the story in a letter sent to one of the series' ardent fans, but I'm not buying it. The network execs have clearly made a bottom-line decision, one that cuts against the loyalty of some of their most committed viewers, so I'm sure they won't take it personally if I make a sound financial decision for myself as well. With "The Sopranos" gone, and now "Deadwood," and "The Wire" surviving for just one season more, they will be left with just 10 half-hours a year of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," for my taste. I can't justify a premium price each month for that limited amount of quality entertainment. I've devoted a fair amount of space on this blog to promoting the HBO network, but my point of reference ended when I changed living quarters. There's no reason to start a subscription in my new dwelling now. I'll put the money towards principal on the mortgage.

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It was shades of last year's Kenny Rogers World Series debacle as Colorado Rockies closer Manny Corpas was caught on camera Wednesday afternoon pouring something liquid onto his jersey in the bullpen, then appearing to mix the liquid with dirt on his hands after taking the hill for the ninth inning of Colorado's Division Series game against Philadelphia. Reason #706 that Major League Baseball should forbid teams from using the dark-colored softball-style jerseys.

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The Nation on Sarah Silverman.

Stephen Metcalf on Bruce Springsteen.

posted by CM @ 8:32 PM