Hatfields & McCoys (miniseries)
| Hatfields & McCoys | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Genre | Docudrama |
| Screenplay by |
Ted Mann Ronald Parker |
| Story by |
Bill Kerby Ted Mann |
| Directed by | Kevin Reynolds |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer |
John Debney Tony Morales |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
Kevin Costner Darrell Fetty Herb Nanas |
| Cinematography | Arthur Reinhart |
| Editor(s) | Don Cassidy |
| Running time | 290 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
History ThinkFactory Media Sony Pictures Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | History |
| Original release | May 28 – May 30, 2012 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Hatfields & McCoys is a 2012 American three-part television miniseries based on the Hatfield–McCoy feud produced by History channel. Each episode aired for two hours on May 28, 29, and 30, 2012.[1]
Cast and characters
- Bill Paxton as Randolph "Randall" McCoy
- Kevin Costner as William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield
- Tom Berenger as Jim Vance
- Powers Boothe as Judge Valentine "Wall" Hatfield
- Mare Winningham as Sally McCoy
- Jena Malone as Nancy McCoy
- Boyd Holbrook as William "Cap" Hatfield
- Lindsay Pulsipher as Roseanna McCoy
- Matt Barr as Johnson "Johnse" Hatfield
- Ronan Vibert as Perry Cline
- Noel Fisher as Ellison "Cotton Top" Mounts
- Sam Reid as Tolbert McCoy
- Andrew Howard as "Bad" Frank Phillips
- Jilon VanOver as Ransom Bray
- Sarah Parish as Levicy Hatfield
- Joe Absolom as Selkirk McCoy
- Tom McKay as Jim McCoy
- Michael Jibson as Pharmer McCoy
- Greg Patmore as Elias "Good 'Lias" Hatfield
- Damian O'Hare as Ellison Hatfield
- Nick Dunning as Reverend Garrett
Production
The miniseries was History's first aired scripted drama[2] (the network had previously produced a scripted miniseries in 2011, The Kennedys, but decided against airing it in the US).[3]
Although the story is set in the Appalachians in West Virginia and Kentucky, the miniseries was shot in Romania, just outside Brașov with the Carpathians standing in for the Appalachians.[4][5]
Music
The score for the series was composed by John Debney and Tony Morales, with additional music by Kevin Costner and Modern West.[1] The soundtrack features vocals performed by Lisbeth Scott on The Long Road Down.
Reception
Critical reception
The miniseries met with favorable reviews from US critics. Based on 20 reviews from mainstream critics, it received an average score of 68/100 at Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6] Linda Stasi of the New York Post commented:
| “ | When I first heard about it, my thought was: Why? But that was before I sat through all six hours of this intense saga. Most miniseries this long tend to lose steam somewhere between the beginning of Night 1 and the middle of Night 2. Not this one...The miniseries is full of stand-out performances from great actors... But it's the guys you may not know who will blow you away.[7] | ” |
Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker gave the series a B+, stating: "In stretching the tale over three nights, the pacing sags at times, and recriminations can get repetitive. It also doesn't help that Reynolds shot the miniseries in that perpetual sepia tone that gives everything a faux-antique look. But overall, Hatfields & McCoys is engrossing, and enlightening about a feud that proves to be a lot more than the bumpkin brawl of pop legend."[8] Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times stated:
| “ | Although deftly nailed into its time and place with sets and costumes so vivid you can smell the blue wood smoke and the stink of moonshine sweat, Hatfields & McCoys transcends the confines of its age by revealing the feud's posturing, resentments and callous violence that mirror the dynamics of modern urban gangs... It isn't a perfect piece—when faced with a choice between historic detail and story, Hatfields & McCoys errs on the side of detail, which is both the series' greatest strength and weakness.[9] | ” |
Among the negative critics was Verne Gay of Newsday who called the series "violent and dull", adding:
| “ | What's not to like about Hatfields & McCoys? Simple: the story. It's an uninteresting one, peopled with almost criminally bland characters. In fact, as portrayed here—quite possibly accurately—they're a bunch of bibulous knuckleheads who shoot at each other year after year—or on TV, hour after hour—and have no real idea why. It's an interminable eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth narrative.[10] | ” |
Washington Post's Hank Stuever also gave a negative review:
| “ | The point of the entire saga, it seems, is to make you lose track of what the feudin' was about, and how it managed to burn out of control. It will always be tempting to view their story through any modern analogy of one's choosing—such as partisan political stalemates or the red-blue socioeconomic divide. But maybe the story of the Hatfields and McCoys doesn't amount to anything at all. Maybe, since it also doesn't make much of miniseries, it was meant to be a footnote and nothing more.[11] | ” |
Accolades
Hatfields & McCoys received 16 nominations at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, the most since the History Channel began operations.[12] The series was nominated for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton were both nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, with Costner winning the award. Tom Berenger won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie and Mare Winningham was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. Director Kevin Reynolds was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special. Ted Mann, Ronald Parker, and Bill Kerby were nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special for the second part of the miniseries. The series won three of its nine technical nominations.[13][14]
Ratings
Part one drew the largest ever ratings for a History program and one of the biggest in cable TV history. 13.9 million viewers tuned into the first of three parts, making it the most-watched single broadcast on ad-supported cable ever, excluding sports. Demographic numbers were high as well, with 4.8 million viewers in the adults 18-49 demographic and 5.8 million viewers among adults 24-54.[15] Part two was watched by 13.13 million viewers with an adult 18-49 rating of 3.7, the highest rated programming on cable of the night.[16] Part three was watched by 14.29 million viewers with an adult 18-49 rating of 4.0, making it the number-one program of the night.[17]
Effect on tourism
According to WYMT-TV in Hazard, Kentucky, the series has generated an increase in tourism to the area from people wanting to know about the feud. Pike County Tourism Vice Chair Reed Potter stated:
| “ | It's been beyond our expectations. We've been getting requests for brochures that tell about the feud sites and places people can visit at a rate today last I checked of about two per minute.[18] | ” |
International broadcast
| Country | Networks | Series premiere | Timeslot |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Channel 5[19] | 25/10/2012 | 21:00 |
  | Space[20] | 14/01/2013 | 22:00 |
 | Space[20] | 14/01/2013 | 22:00
The episodes have been split on Channel 5 and Space into hour-long segments rather than playing the two hours straight. |
 | Yle TV2 | 04/05/2014 | 21:00
Series aired weekly in five parts. |
 | Canal+ | 21/07/2013 | 21:00 |
 | Mega Channel | 07/01/2014 | 22:30 |
 | First Channel[21] | 27/12/2014 | 22:15 |
 | TG4 | 04/09/2015 | 22:40 |
Home video release
The series was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats on July 31, 2012. The bonus material includes a music video of "I Know These Hills" from Kevin Costner and Modern West from their album Famous for Killing Each Other: Music From and Inspired By Hatfields & McCoys.[22]
References
- 1 2 "Hatfields & McCoys". History. May 24, 2012. Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
- ↑ Memmott, Carol (May 24, 2012). "History comes out shooting with 'Hatfields & McCoys'". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
- ↑ Belloni, Matthew (January 7, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: History Channel Pulls 'The Kennedys'; Says Controversial Miniseries 'Not a Fit'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 8 January 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ↑ "Hatfields & McCoys: Romania Becomes Appalachia". History Channel. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
- ↑ "Interview with Kevin Costner on the set of 'Hatfields & McCoys' in Romania". Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
- ↑ "Hatfields & McCoys". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2012-05-30. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
- ↑ Stasi, Linda (May 27, 2012). "Loathe thy neighbor. 'Hatfields & McCoys' no hillbilly joke". New York Post. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ↑ Tucker, Ken (May 25, 2012). "TV Review – Hatfields & Mccoys (2012)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ↑ McNamara, Mary (May 28, 2012). "Review: 'Hatfields & McCoys' has vivid detail, fine acting". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ↑ Gay, Verne (May 25, 2012). ""Hatfields and McCoys": It's a bland feud". Newsday. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ↑ Stuever, Hank (May 25, 2012). ""Hatfields & McCoys": Brawlers in the holler". Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ↑ Braxton, Greg (July 19, 2012). "Emmys: 'Hatfields & McCoys' feud draws 16 nominations". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ↑ "Hatfields & McCoys – Emmys". emmys.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ↑ "'Games of Thrones' top creative arts Emmy winner". The Denver Post. Associated Press. September 15, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (29 May 2012). "Hatfields & McCoys makes ratings history for History Channel". Zap2it.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (May 31, 2012). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'Hatfields & McCoys' Wins Night, NBA Playoffs, 'Tosh.0', 'Deadliest Catch', 'Workaholics', 'Real Housewives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (May 31, 2012). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Hatfields & McCoys' Wins Night, NBA Playoffs, 'Hardcore History', 'Restaurant Impossible', 'Melissa & Joey' 'Daily Show' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ↑ Burks, Whitney (May 31, 2012). "Tourism increases after Hatfield-McCoy mini-series". WYMT-TV. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ↑ Munn, Patrick (July 20, 2012). "Channel 5 Acquires UK Rights To Mini-Series 'Hatfields & McCoys'". TVWise. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- 1 2 "Minissérie premiada "Hatfields & McCoys" estreia nesta segunda-feira no Space". Uol (in Portuguese). January 14, 2013. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ↑ tv1.ir
- ↑ Lambert, David (June 1, 2012). "Hatfields and McCoys (mini-series) — Sony's Official Press Release for the Just-Aired History Channel Series". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
External links
- Official website
- The Story of the McCoys Barry McCoy Author, Hatfield McCoy Feud Historian and Official Spokesperson for the McCoy Family. The Story of the McCoys ISBN 978-0-615-67030-0
- Hatfields & McCoys on IMDb
- TV series on Hatfield-McCoy feud aims for accuracy