"If I'm gonna die, at least let it be doing something cool, like The Hobbit!"
HBO has pulled the plug on Luck, its highly-regarded but trouble-plagued horse-gambling series, after a third horse died during shooting. Here's their statement:
It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann together with HBO have decided to cease all future production on the series LUCK.
Safety is always of paramount concern. We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures. While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision.
We are immensely proud of this series, the writing, the acting, the filmmaking, the celebration of the culture of horses, and everyone involved in its creation.
Surprised? I am, somewhat. The show had already begun production on the second season of the series when a third horse died as the result of an injury sustained during filming. Still, the Hollywood Reporter indicates that ratings might've just as much been a cause of this; the show's been averaging well under a million viewers per episode. I've heard good things about the latest episodes of the show, but it doesn't look like we'll get much in the way of a second season.
Good, I'm glad.
As a vegetarian and animal rights activist I don't agree with the idea of horse racing and so I wasn't thrilled with a show that kind of glamorises it for our entertainment.
R.I.P. those poor horses :/ :(
Loos like luck is going to the glue factory.
I've just written an essay on gait, and I feel compelled to say that horses don't really gamble. They trot, canter then gallop as speed increases. BORING.
@CherryBomb: Considering that most 35mm film uses gelatin as a crucial component, it's at least nice that those animals got to be in front of the camera, before they became a part of it.
I'm a big fan of David Milch, stretching all the way back to the 80s but I've learned my lesson with HBO. I wait to see how a series pans out in the first season or two before committing to it. Carnivale and Deadwood were two very disappointing cancellations for me. Now I hear Daniel Knauf (Carnivale creator) is writing an HBO/BBC miniseries called Year Zero. This I will look into, if it ever comes about.
@CherryBomb said:
Derp. Take your self righteous attitude somewhere else.
Kill one horse while filming, shame on you. Kill two horses while filming, shame on,... uhh. Still, poor horsies.
this is gay. the show was great. getting better too.
Some productions can handle battle scenes with hundreds of horses without injuries, others apparently can't stop them from dying while being walked to their stable.
@LoktarOgar: 'it made Twelve Monkeys look like Dora the Explorer'--now that's a good one.
I feel a little bad because I never watched an episode of Luck but I consider myself a huge Michael Mann fan.
Hmmm 3 horses dead? Well they should cancel filming of The Hobbit then shouldn't they?
3 horses dead on that too - and counting. All preventable deaths.