Hatfields & McCoys

Believe it or not I don't watch a lot of television.  It's not because I don't like TV; I do.  The problem is finding the time to see all the good shows that are on nowadays.  Between work, family, and writing, a lot of shows I enjoy just aren't making it into my weekly rotation (like Nurse Jackie and Mad Men).  Yes, the DVR helps, but so much of it goes unwatched and then, sadly, gets erased.

But there was one show in the past couple of months that I knew I had to see, because I knew I'd enjoy it.  If you haven't yet seen History Channel's Hatfields & McCoys, I hope you'll get a chance to during one of the reruns that have been going on since it premiered. I had to watch it it bits and pieces, stealing an hour or so here and there to watch all nine hours of it, usually late and night when everyone else was asleep.  Honestly, the lost shut-eye was worth it just to see the great acting by Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton in particular, as well as the rest of the cast.  I love westerns and have since I was a kid, but what makes Hatfields and McCoys so good is that it's really a family drama, not unlike The Godfather.  Lots of hurt feelings, lots of violence, hangings, stabbings, a post Civil War backdrop, and a sad romantic thread throughout the story--so good.  I finished it this afternoon and was sad when it was over.

History Channel had a really big success with Hatfields & McCoys, which is good because they're plunge into this kind of serious scripted drama needs to be supported.  Their next project is going to be called The Vikings, though I'm not sure what that's actually going to be about (other than Vikings, I mean). Sounds interesting, though Hatfields & McCoys set the bar pretty high, at least for western fan like me.  Catch it in reruns or on demand if you can.  If you can't, I'm pretty sure the DVD won't be long in coming.