Deadwood
A hell of a place to make your fortune
Created by David Milch
On HBO
A dense, profane historical drama about the collision of lawlessness and civilization in a gold-rush town, built on linguistic precision and the interior lives of morally compromised men.
The story of the early days of Deadwood, South Dakota; woven around actual historic events with most of the main characters based on real people. Deadwood starts as a gold mining camp and gradually turns from a lawless wild-west community into an organized wild-west civilized town. The story focuses on the real-life characters Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen.
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is Deadwood violent? Yes, very. More violent than 94% of series.
Is Deadwood scary? Yes. More frightening than 87% of series.
Is Deadwood sad? Yes. More sad than 79% of series.
Is Deadwood easy watching? Barely. Less comforting than 75% of series.
Does Deadwood leave you hopeful? Not especially. Less hopeful than 63% of series.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
- The Opposite of HBOFinding
- The Shows That Know They EndFinding
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like Deadwood, and what each one shares →
Like Deadwood
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Deadwood
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Deadwood, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Deadwood, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Deadwood, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
