By April MacIntyre May 15, 2009, 17:43 GMT
On May 31, fans of the excellent HBO series; "Deadwood" and "OZ" can enjoy the shows once again, as DirecTV's Channel 101® Network rolls out the episodes that were solely broadcast only on premium cable pay TV.
BAAACKK!! Deadwood's "Al"...Ian McShane. Fans of Ian McShane's profane old West villain Al Swearengen will get to relive the vibrant series "Deadwood" along with "Oz", both excellent HBO shows coming to The 101 Network, compliments of DirecTV. The channel will air these HBO series, uncut, commercial-free and in HD. © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
All DirecTV customers will have the ability to see the award winning shows completely commercial free and in HD.
The 101 Network is quickly gaining an audience with its aggressive programming and great slate of television, including "Friday Night Lights," and even the cultie Canadian comedy favorite, "The Trailer Park Boys."
Previously the network announced the resurrection of Ray Liotta's "Smith," and other great smallscreen series that went by the wayside well before their time.
The addition of "Deadwood" and "OZ" will see ratings for the channel explode, as part of The 101 Network’s Sunday night HD lineup, uncut, commercial free and compliments of DirecTV.
David Milch's "Deadwood" is an adult pastiche of tales revolving around the lives of settlers within the outlaw camp of Deadwood, South Dakota. The series is highlighted by the excellent work of actor Ian McShane, who portrays main character Al Swearengen.
Tom Fontana's "OZ" chronicles life inside an experimental cell block in the Oswald Maximum Security Correctional Facility. The show was highlighted by consistently well-written scripts and perfectly cast ensemble players that included Ernie Hudson, Harold Perrineau and Christopher Meloni.
All three seasons of Deadwood (thirty-six episodes) and six seasons of OZ (fifty-six episodes) will begin airing Sunday nights, May 31 on The 101 Network, at 9 and 10 p.m. ET/PT respectively, as well as on DIRECTV on DEMAND.
“We are committed to bringing the highest quality shows to our subscribers and these are two of the most riveting dramas ever made for television,” said Patty Ishimoto, vice president and general manager of DirecTV's The 101 Network. “When pay TV shows like these move to other networks they are usually extremely edited versions, but DirecTV's customers will get to enjoy these incredible shows uncut, commercial-free and in HD.”
From DirecTV:
Created and executive produced by David Milch (NYPD Blue), "Deadwood" first aired on HBO in 2004 and was met with critical praise and accolades, winning multiple Emmy® Awards and a Golden Globe® Award during its run. Featuring an ensemble cast including Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, Robin Weigert, Powers Booth, E.B. Farnum and Brad Dourif, Deadwood takes viewers into the uncivilized outpost in the Black Hills of South Dakota to witness the birth of an American frontier town and the ruthless power struggle between its just and unjust pioneers. Beginning in 1876 during the richest gold strike in American history, Deadwood draws a mob of restless misfits to the lawless settlement, where everything and everyone has a price.
Executive produced by the award-winning team of Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life on the Streets), "OZ" features a large ensemble cast including Ernie Hudson, Harold Perrineau, Lee Tergesen, J.K. Simmons, Dean Winters, Terry Kinney, Christopher Meloni and Rita Moreno, with a wide-range of guest stars including Method Man, Master P, LL Cool J and Treach. OZ takes viewers inside experimental cell block Level Four, also known as Emerald City, where inmates and correctional officers alike battle for survival amid warring factions and explosive acts of retribution. Each episode reveals the scheming and brutality of prison life as well as the occasional act of redemption, with plots, subplots and conflicts given context and explanation by the show's wheelchair-bound narrator, Augustus Hill.
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