When HBO announced last month that the upcoming third season of “Deadwood” would be its last, fans of the gritty western were left disappointed. And though there still won’t be a fourth season of the show, it has been granted a new life.

The network has reached an agreement with “Deadwood” creator and executive producer David Milch to conclude the drama next year with a pair of two-hour TV movies.

“I am thrilled that we were able to figure out a way to continue,” Milch told the Hollywood Reporter. “No one was ready to let go of the show. And I am really glad we have found a way to proceed that works creatively.”

Originally, HBO and Milch had discussed a shortened six-episode final season, as opposed to the 12-episode norm. However, because each show documents one day in the lives of the characters, Milch felt that a “six-day” conclusion wouldn’t work.

With the TV movies, however, he’ll be able to drop that format and conclude the series without time constraints.

The show is a critical favourite, having won five out of 11 Emmy nominations last year, but is also reportedly one of HBO’s priciest. According to Variety, each episode cost around $5 million US to produce and took up to 16 days of shooting.

The third and final complete season of “Deadwood” begins airing this Sunday on HBO.






Related Stories: