May 29th, 2012
05:36 PM ET
'Hatfields & McCoys' makes ratings historyThe History Channel didn't have to battle for viewers on Monday night, thanks to the feuding "Hatfields & McCoys." The first part of the miniseries came out swinging Monday, with 13.9 million viewers tuning in. The network expressed its appreciation for the show of support on Twitter, noting that the huge turnout made it "the No. 1 non-sports telecast in ad-supported cable history!" In a statement on TVLine, the network's president, Nancy Dubuc, said that the History Channel has "[owned] historical drama ... with guns a-blazin'!"
The network "couldn't be more proud of the entire cast and crew," Dubuc continued, "from Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Mare Winningham, Powers Boothe, Tom Berenger, and everyone involved in truly making history!" If you missed part one of the miniseries, it'll be on again tonight at 7 p.m., followed by part two at 9 p.m. ET.
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Excuse me for digressing but am I the only one in america that is bothered by the decline of the educational channels. The first to bite the dust was the learning channel (TLC) which no longer shows educational programming. The Discovery channel then became the Mythbusters channel and very seldom airs any educational programming (but airs a number of worthless reality shows) any more. Now the History channel rarely shows history programming, but instead has become another reality show network. Thank goodness for the Science channel or there would not be any programming left on T.V. for intelligent people to watch.
We found the whole series on "Nature & Science On Demand" channel. Watched all 3 parts w/o commercials. It was really good!
I thought the mini-series was great! Definitely a good idea to record it on the DVR and skip the endless commercials!
Too bad it was on during the week though, it would have made for an excellent drinking game-take a shot everytime someone spit!
Looks like another fued is brewing here.
Best mini-series since Roots. I loved every minute of it, absolutely amazing!
I totally agree, Kevin C and Bill P are the very best when it comes to Westerns. Refreshing to see a good mini-series.
Nancy Dubuc should be proud of this. She has little else to be proud of on the History Channel. The majority of the shows on the Channel are quasi-reality crap.
Fine show. keep more of them comin.
This series is great! I read some historical accounts and it appears that the History Channel has portryaed accurately. The cycle of violence continued for years. Costner and Paxton should be commended. Incredible portrayals. Congratulations to all involved.....
A great mini..... I can't help but wonder, however, if the ratings would have been quite so good if it hadn't been up against idiotic 'reality' shows and network re-runs. Really, there wasn't much else to watch; that's why I tuned in to it in the first place.
I have to say, this is just superior quality entertainment, the best on television today – the acting is great, the sets are very real, the story is appealing – you can tell everybody just put in a great artistic effort on this production and man, does TV need it because most of the stuff on there now is drivel, horribly-written crap
Sorry, I have to take exception to the realistic sets. I have lived in the KY, WV boarder area for 50 years. First thing I noticed was how washed out the movie was. This area is so green and brushy that there's no place like it. The homes of that era were just wrong. (There are plenty around here that still exist) Log cabins were scarce, and homes were tiny, even for big families. Last thing that bothered me was all the horses everyone had. Just didn't happen. You used your two feet to get from here to there. Only wealthy had so many horses. It was more important to have a cow or goats. Mules were much more common, especially in logging industry.
I really liked this mini series!! It seemed that the Hatfields did all the killing. The McCoys lost most of their family during the series. I thought Kevin Costner's character was really cold blooded. He and his family killed those 3 boys with little or no feeling about what it would do to their families. I thought that was what really started the feud! I am very disappointed to learn it was filmed elsewhere when there are so many hard working Americans out of work!!
Perhaps it escaped your notice that those three boys shot and stabbed multiple times Devil Anse's brother during a fist fight? Hatfields had every right to justice.
loved the mini-series. it was not a western though.
Great mini series! The History channel should more of these.
This was a fantastic miniseries. The History Channel has really lost its way in the last couple of years (with scripted reality shows such as Pawn Stars) but Hatfields & McCoys was not only very entertaining, but one actually learned about HISTORY from watching it.
I was totally blown away by the acting. Bill Paxton was just awesome in this portrayal of the patriarch McCoy and the multi-faceted personality. I was so caught up with Jim Vance that it wasn't until the 2nd episode that I noticed it was Tom Berenger!!! I was stunned by this series. Great work!
The superb acting brought this story to life. Excellent job!
Costner, Paxton, Berenger, Boothe, Winningham, are great actors. These actors have been around for a long time in the movies and on TV. They have proven themselves over and over. They are not like – No talent young actors of today.
You do realize that they were once "no talent young actors" themselves once too right? Next of Kin and Wierd Science weren't exactly Paxton's best performances (don't get me wrong, I like him....but he was young then too and not so hot.) Costner I'm sure is really proud of Night Shift, Malibu Hot Summer...oh and they were so impressed with him in The Big Chill that they deleted his scenes totally. So you might say "but he was never in The Big Chill"...you'd be right, he never made it to the final cut. Most of these actors you talk about have been around for awhile but matured with experience...the same will happen with the young actors of today.
Clint Eastwood once had a director tell him to quit acting, that he'd never make it in the business when he first started out...now he's an award winning actor/director. Time and experience help form the craft for most who stay in it. I just wish Costner would stay behind the camera where, he's really quite talented there.
They probably would have filmed it in the actual region if it weren't for the cast's fear of being Ned Beatty'd, or the fact that there are far too many rusted out trailer parks and junk cars around the the place that it would cost far too much to clean it up in order to make a realistic portrayal of the period. Good job south! Your lazy, laid back redneck ways drove that money out of town, not Kevin Costner.
Hey Suthunyankee. All individuals from the south are not lazy, have junk cars or are living in run down trailors. Most are hard working friendly people who try to teach yankees like you to be kind, polite and caring to strangers. Last time I was in New York all people were doing was trying to find ways to screw with someone or something. Despite you being a yankee come on down south. We will welcome you with open arms.
Phenomenal acting across the board. Very well done!
Agree 100%............excellent acting~
I don't understand what people have against Kevin Costner- he is a great actor and his projects are always interesting. His work is always interesting. This was a great series- and I guess it proves by ratings that the American public is starved for
anything that doesn't have a bachelor, a bachelorette, a shore, a salon, ridiculous stage mothers, rampant illiteracy and ignorance, no fashion sense, no self-control, no modesty and devoid of just plain good manners.
Waterworld.
Waterworld was not as bad as people like to make it seem. Yes, it completely bombed at the box office, but it wasn't a terrible movie.
Loved the whole Series....Superb acting. Kevin Costner has done it again. Ever since Dances with Wolves, I have been a huge fan. Super Super ....Thanks Kevin!
Networks should take note of this! The viewing public is tired of cops and lawyers! A good western or two back in the fall line up would be a great and welcomed addition!
Ignorant hillbillies fighting over illegal substances and killing each other. This isn't a series this is the entire trailerpark community in the south.
Why did Costner take all that money and outsource it to Romania? Is he not aware southern states needs jobs?
A network doesn't quite have the money of a big studio, so they have to save money where they can.
The Hatfield and McCoy story did not take place in the South, though some of the Hatfields fought for the CSA. It happened in Kentucky and West Virginia–up North! As for the trailer park comment, you haven't driven around the Rust Belt lately, have you? Just as many trailers and rednecky-types above the Mason-Dixon Line.
AWWWW SHADDUP "BOOB". The series is excellent. You are teh only one so far that is complaining – ya lil bit##
Costner came through as expected...great portrayal. Paxton, IMO, wasn't right for this part. From my perspective he wasn't very convincing. I think it may have been better if he and Powers Booth had exchanged parts. Booth has a proven track record of playing dasdardly parts with believability. Berringer...well cast and made you feel like he was the person he played. Overall it was well done even though I wasn't too impressed after the first installment even to the point of nearly causing me not to watch the second part. Glad I did though.
Can't stand Costner. Without him I might have checked it out.
I would have liked to see this film in a theater, WITHOUT ALL THE COMMERCIALS.
I watched it on my DVR so I could fast forward through the commercials. As for the big screen, there is no way that this story could have been told in 2 1/2 to 3 hours. TV miniseries was a perfect format.
Did it seem like the commercials were out-of-hand with Part 3? I actually took note and many times they were only 9 minutes apart.
Great series. Powers Boothe has the best voice.
Fantastic series. Wish there were more like them. TV viewing today is a wasteland. Congrats to The History Channel for airing this fine program and I hope there will be more in the future.
Awesome show! Incredibly well-acted! Tom Berenger as Uncle Jim.......the man should win every award available for this role! Of course I love comedy too.....Bill Paxton should have had an Oscar for his role in "Weird Science." All these years later and he still cracks me up in that one. What a range of acting ability in both Paxton and Berenger.
Haha! He was great in "Weird Science" and "Alien."
LOL... I forgot about that... Weird Science!
This is a great show if you like watching slow motion train wrecks. It's Tobacco Road meets the Beverly Hillbillies. It has every Southern stereotype that Hollywood types love to hype. A great date movie for progressives. It will give her that smug superior feeling that is so necessary to get on base.
If you know the history, they did embody every southern stereotype.
Shot in Romania? Guess Costner must be an outsourcing Republican entrepreneur. Bet the hardscrabble folks in theAppalachia would have loved some extra bucks for being extras and the local businesses from the influx of cast and crew. Buy American!
Man, you took the words right out of my mouth.
They probably would have filmed it in the actual region if it weren't for the cast's fear of being Ned Beatty'd, or the fact that there are far to many rusted out trailer parks and junk cars around the the place that it would cost far too much to clean it up in order to make a realistic portrayal of the landscape. Good job south! Your lazy, laid back redneck ways drove that money out of town.
So you don't watch anything that's not filmed in America?
Great miniseries and the acting is fantasric.
It was filmed in Romania. Not a big Costner fan, but he was good in this.
yuk, hubbie had it on and everytime i walked in the room it looked like the same scene over and over. not geting it, could this font be any smaller, really?
The United Mine Workers of America (UMW) and rival miners' unions appropriated both the term redneck and its literal manifestation, the red bandana, in order to build multiracial unions of white, black, and immigrant miners in the strike-ridden coalfields of northern and central Appalachia between 1912 and 1936. The origin of redneck to mean "a union man" or "a striker" remains uncertain, but according to linguist David W. Maurer, the former definition of the word probably dates at least to the 1910s, if not earlier. The use of redneck to designate "a union member" was especially popular during the 1920s and 1930s in the coal-producing regions of southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and western Pennsylvania, where the word came to be specifically applied to a miner who belonged to a union.
That's your comment on the show? How odd.
Great mini-series. Tom Berenger deserves whatever awards he will be eligible to be nominated for. You know it's great acting when someone becomes so much the character you don't realize who the actor is in the role, and that is what Berenger did.
WORD!
I watched the series.
This was the historic feud.
Moonshine, now Meth.
Game not over.
This three day movies series was wonderful. I am myself a Virginian living on the borders of Kentucky and West Virginia. The portrayal of the characters was very well cast along with the status of homes, and towns. I noticed too that the men were the head of the households and held their wives to the highest standard. Needless to say this movie was absolutely wonderful. There are many great stories here in my Virginia that could provide for super star movies. Perhaps Mr. Costner and his associates could come in to visit our beautiful Virginia (below the Roanoke line) and acquire perhaps an academy award movie right here in the Coalfields. Thank you for this story sir. Everyone was wonderful in their roles.
I loved the series. I like Kevin Costner and all he puts out there for us. But here's what I love the most...Realizing that Uncle Jim was Tom Berenger! What a performance! Awesome!
Too many drunk guys with guns, and ignorant to boot.
How about their life style: drafty shacks, no soap or toothpaste, long smelly hair...
uh, ya, thats america & our history, sorry its not whitewashed for you.
If you knew the history of the feud, you would realize they went to court and pressed charges on each other far more than they actually had "shootouts." You would also know that the feud is in two phases. One is the old feud of families. The second is when Cline comes in with outside influence (politicians, coal companies) to get Devil Anse's land.
Yeah, they should have ignored how it really was and given the actors slingshots for weapons and had them drinking milk.
I admire Kevin Costner because he thinks big.Open Range was such a great film. He really lets you absorb the scenery, he respects the majesty of nature. He uses pace brilliantly with story telling pulling you into his world. He said once, that movies are about feeling. Talented guy.
Minhaj Arifin
Author of
How Desis Became The Greatest Nation On Earth
That was some serious feud and had no idea how bad. I noticed that the uncle from the Hatfields and the cousin from the McCoy' family started a lot of the BS. Good series and informative as to how it escalated.
I hope folks learn from this series. First off REDNECK did not get developed to tag people from this area until the coal strikes in the early 1900's. Please watch the History channel show on this. Second the main point I carry from this series is the deep rooted scares and wounds from the civil war. Political indifference's ran tensions very high everywhere in the country. Please keep in mind education was something very low on most Americans list and home schooling was the norm. The story is accurate as possible and it was a hard life for all in this area. Everyone who is negative about this series just change channels simple as that. I do the same when I click on a reality show I just move on not whining about it. Happy viewing everyone.
Originally the term redneck was meant as a derogatory word for Native Americans.
I have followed the mini series and have enjoyed it. The acting is good and the story seems authentic. If nothing else, people, it is meant to entertain. If you don't like it, don't watch it. I don't think any of the actors will suffer because some of you think their work is poor quality. I won't lose any sleep over those opinions.
Great series, have really enjoyed it!
This has been an EXCELLENT saga!!! I love love love it!!!! a total must see!
Most of the Appalachian land that still looks like the late 1800's is federally owned and you need an act of God to get permission to film there. The EPA, anilmal rights and footprint regulations are ridiculous and it's hugely expensive. Yes, it's cheaper and much less aggrevating to ship everything to Romania.
It's called preservation for a reason. At one time there were developers wanting to build high rise hotels and condo on the top of the highest peaks... talk about destruction of the view! I agree with the preservation, we have enough urban sprawl all around us. We don't need more, certainly not at the expense of some of the most lush and beautiful mountains that America has to offer.
Try filming in the NC park (Asheville area) where the movie Hunger Games was filmed... similar landscape, easier access, far fewer regulations. That should cut your filming cost and make it more authentic!
WOW.. I was wondering why it was filmed there.. LOL, even movies that take place in states that would love the income, sees it's money go over see..Thanks for the knowledge.
Try shooting in Northeastern Alabama. Same mountain range with exact same setup but no hassle. I could show you many original buildings still standing so that you wouldn't need to build a set. Jack Daniel distillery is 40 miles down the road so you don't have to "import" the moonshine for the show.
love the show...but am I the only one having difficulty understanding some of the dialogue?
It's supposed to be ancient appalachian. Some lifetime Southerners needed a little time to translate some of it. Like Spartacus on Starz, it simply requires an attentive ear and a few moments of reflection. You'll catch on... stay tuned.
no you are not
I can't stop watching this show even though the violence bothers me. This was well done, well casted, well directed. Were all the events in this movie accurate? Maybe – maybe not. Not all movies made as a biography are completely accurate. Even our kids' school history books aren't completely accurate. I'm sure most of what was portrayed in this movie is correct or at least based on old-timer stories.
It seems to track very closely to the various writeups that are available on the feud, much closer than the Borgias does.
"the violence bothers you"??? You are watching a story about two families involved in a blood feud, what the hell did you expect?
Aint that somthing that it came to all of this stuff. in our little town of Pikeville their our many hestoric events and memorries about what hapened. Both clans did try to get along but it was usually the outside kinfolk that screwed it up with a capitol S. Love the story though and will keep on truckin with it tonight yall.
Great show by Costner, Paxton, Berenger and Boothe. Waiting for the next one. Good cast!!
My forefathers fought this great fight. Much is accurate as outlined by the family chronicles and history book. Some of it has been embellished just a tad. My grandpappy told me that his papa said that Devil thought he was such a bad azz and we should have taken him out at some point up in the the hills. We had our chances but didn't do it.
well burn my clothes...
Best show on television. Kevin Costner and the whole cast are great. Wish they could make it into a regular series.
History channels next movie with Kevin Costner.... Waterworld 2, electric boogaloo.
I have been impressed with Costner, as is usually the case. If you are in enough movies, some are going to be duds (Robin Hood). That was 23 years ago. He is excellent in westerns.
I always felt that Costner's "Wyatt Earp" was under appreciated; it was a much more substantial flick than "Tombstone," which came out at the same time; “Tombstone” was more of a glitzy Hollywood production. However, Powers Boothe's portrayal of Curly Bill Brocius in "Tombstone" is a treat and hard to beat. Ironically, Bill Paxton was also in "Tombstone," but, then Mare Winningham was in “WyatEarp.”
That's because Kevin Costner is a serious cross between Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart.
So that makes him not only a good actor, but the best choice in a good western.
It's just a dumb made up show, no one knows what really happened with that feud because no one is alive any longer, so it's just totally fiction so I guess if you're amused by violent ridiculous fiction then enjoy it, I would rather enjoy something that's real and non fiction with no violence, we have enough violence in this world there is no reason to enjoy it on tv and if you do then you've really got a worthless life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield%E2%80%93McCoy_feud
Might want to actually do some research many relatives still alive in both families. Way to be on top of things, your opinion really matters.
well' sir don't watch it !!!!!!
You speak of not wanting any part of violence yet personally attack those that chose to watch the mini series. The story is a small part of history and there are many stories just like in which the people involved are no longer living, but the story has been passed down by those who made accounts of it and have passed them on through the years via family and personal accounts. Perhaps you should educate yourself on a few of those things before you post rude comments towards others having "worthless lives" due to them enjoying the mini series. You sir(or ma'am) are a sad individual and should keep to posting your unintelligent comments on something far more grand, like your myspace.
You speak of not wanting any part of violence yet personally attack those that chose to watch the mini series. The story is a small part of history and there are many stories just like in which the people involved are no longer living, but the story has been passed down by those who made accounts of it and have passed them on through the years via family and personal accounts. Perhaps you should educate yourself on a few of those things before you post rude comments towards others having "worthless lives" due to them enjoying the mini series. You sir(or ma'am) are a sad individual and should keep to posting your unintelligent comments on something far more grand, like your myspace.
dont worry "american idol" , Dancing with the stars, and the biggest loser will be back again....those are your "real" shows....you have no interest in history and thats fine...but don't hate on those of us who do
Oh please get off your high horse!!! You people really do get old. Go hug a @#$%ing tree.
Fiction? How stupid are you? Do some research – on the internet, at the library – there have been numerous books and articles written on this TRUE subject. I live in Pikeville and I see the historical markers on a daily basis. I also know many Hatfields and McCoys and, as we Appalachians have a rich tradition of oral history, I have heard many stories. This show has some flaws and inaccuracies of course (Randolf was 14 years older than Anse and they did not serve together in the war) but it is an interesting story that is part of the fabric of this country. It is a true story.
Relentless poverty, relentless violence, relentless hate, relentless corruption, relentless drinking, filmed in Romania (Why? The REAL Appalachia wasn't reel enough?-pun intended), awful accents (they could have gotten help with that), and no characters with any redeeming qualities. Halfway through the second episode we were done.
Kath1958...Guess you should go back to watching The Kardashians then....
There are redneck towns all over the country fro Alaska to Wyoming,and to the a55holes defending this sorry show why you KILL yourselves.
LOL! I see this show had quite an impact on you.
Your clan in Chicago last week killed off 11 of the gangsta bros. crime rate is up 50% in Chicago. Sounds like they're doing a geat job of being the latter day Hatfields and McCoys. Killing off eachother one by one.So, who are the ignorant ones??
Excellent show... Thanks Mr. Costner!!! Thanks History Channel!!!
By the way... Tom Berenger is excellent in this series!
The show is great, but they really tricked us with the limited commercials during part one. Part two was riddled with too many commercials. At around 9:20PM I noted 8 minutes of the show followed by 3.5 minutes of commercials. That's ridiculous.
You are absolutely right. Have you watched anything on MTV lately? They are the worst for commercial interuptions.
DVR:)
They have to pay for it somehow.
Kevin Costner has to be the worst actor second to Keanu Reeves! Bill Paxton on the other hand I think will carry this show and is the only reason I am watching it.
We have really enjoyed this series and look forward to tonight's finale. It's sad what such hate can do though.
Kevin Costner-Worst actor ever!!
I've really enjoyed the first two nights of this broadcast. As a lifelong resident of WV I apppreciate the accuracy. My only complaint is quite simple...we have beautiful topography in both WV & KY, so why was this filmed in Romania??
They needed a crew to scout locations for the film. They do this for all films and tv shows. How would Romania come to mind in the first place? The sponsors foot the bill but damn. I would think transporting everyone 2500 miles is easier and cheaper than 8,000 no?
Sadly, because modern day Romania looks more like the Civil-War era Kentucky / W. Virginia region. The movie "Cold Mountain" was also filmed in Romania for its topography.
My wife and I watched "The Hatfields & McCoys" and have really enjoyed it so far. But did anyone else find it difficult to understand what the actors were saying sometimes?
'a course! But that's cuz that's tha way dey talk up 'er in dem parts. Ya hafta put on da clos'd captionin' so's you'll know what's bein' said.
Yes, I did have trouble understanding some of the dialogue. And I'm from Kentucky!
The show has been absolutely riveting! Really great!
I watched both parts so far and it's really a great miniseries! I never purchase these after they air, but I'm pretty sure I iwll be buying this one.
So glad this is doing well! Honestly I was beginning to lose faith in our country, hooked on stupid, ridiculous "reality" tv, such as it is.
It's no secret that Sarah Palin is spawned of these two families. I hope it's accurately portrayed.
Do you even have a life?
In your case, the gene pool could use a little chlorine.
Huh?
Ugghh, more Sarah Palin hype.
Errr lerv Hertferrd & MerrCerrrs.
As a blood relative of the Hatfields, and having fair knowledge of the actual feud, I will tell you that History Channel has done a darn good job with their portrayal. Kudos to Costner who always works hard to deliver authenticity as best he can.
I read your comments on the hatfields and mccoys we r a hatfield. is there any information that u can give me i have some not alot .
thank amy
I read your comments on the hatfields and mccoys{ we r a hatfield.} is there any information that u can give me i have some not alot .like my granma said if u can"t say anything nice don"t say it at all iam glad u said something
thanks amy
They just seem like a bunch of dumb, idiot hillbillies to me. Good show but no need for it to be two hours long.
It ain't son.........It's amost 5 hours long cep'n for the commercials which makes it 6 hours. Horasho pedik?
I agree do they really need a 6-hour miniseries of a bunch of inbred hillbillies killing themselves.
didnt realize this was on till going through the channels last night and caught part 1 shortly after it began. I thought it was very well done and really held my interest. I hope they replay it I really want to see it from the very beginning. Its nice to have SOMETHING to watch that is interesting and based in fact. I personally with they would create a channel or channels for all the reality shows so I could exclude them from my subscription.
1st, great show! I'm definitely enjoying it! 2nd, the recreation of the time period seems damn good to me...& 3rd, it's amazing to me how some people just act so tough, cruel, and spiteful to others in the comment sections of blogs! Get a life! Just because someone calls their dad "daddy" doesn't make them a redneck. But what your comment does make you is ignorant! Which is the major issue with our country! Respect others...should have learned that at an early age....
I was dreading this when my husband said he planned on watching this series. But I'm hooked! As is my 16 year old punk kid. Who would've thought?
We would have loved to see episode 2 ..... unfortunately, if you've ever had DISH...you know service is terrible...and if anything appears in the sky resembling a rain shower....it goes out and stays out!
I didn't know it was filmed in Romania untill I read it here. I've lived most of my life here in WV and Romania looks almost identical to here. Looking foward to part 3 tonight, interesting mini series.
First Deadwood and now this crap,i'm glad you rednecks are happy to have a bunch of trashy,filthy,stinky inbred hillbillies to watch.Enjoy you "history"while you can because your isn't going to be as entertaining.
You are a credit to your race, no doubt.
go back and watch your american idol and that other brainless dribble.
Don’t worry TF.X ,You can still see your distinguished relatives on the next season of The Jersey Shore.
The spelling and the grammer suggests that we have a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Trash like you renders me speechless...
Well he's can have his opinion just like everyone else even if its ignorant. I myself am from Jershey and that show jersey shore is nothing the way we are. But tr his show is incredible I WILL be buying this piece of American history for my DVD collection as well. Great story, great Actors and Actresses, and Great American history.
Bro, kill yourself. Seriously, for the rest of us. I mean, it's ok to not like something, but to have this much anger and hatred toward the people that you assume are watching is a sign of your psychosis. If you kill yourself, I truly believe that it will stop your inevitable murder of another person for, oh, I don't know, doing something else that you perceive as redneck like working hard or being willing to get dirty to make a living.
You are a total idiot !!
Just because Deadwood took place in South Dakota, don't be mistaken in thinking it took place down south where "rednecks" live. Too funny!
The only thing I can think to say to you is, WHAT? Try a grammer class and repost.
Where did you learn English, or the lack of? Punctuation, spacing, complete thoughts. Your opinion is incomplete. Please try again. Mamma know she wasted 9 months with you?
Probably watched all 4 hours for you to figure that out.
Well, you got BET. Who's yo daddy? That's right, you don't know and neither does yo mamma.
Loved the show ,but way to many commericals !! part 2 was 2 hours ,reduced to to 1 with so many commericals.
Hahaha. We're on an express elevator to hell....going down.
I'm no history buff, but my husband is, and is a former civil war re-enactor. When H&M came on, I figured he'd want to watch it – but we both watched installments I and II, and plan to watch installment III tonight. I thought it was very good. Great acting, the characters for the most part look from the time period (aside from Costner but that is OK). And, I agree, I IS good to see history on the History Channel, not that reality crap that is on every channel these days. Kudos to all who were involved in the project, and to all of us who are watching – perhaps we can persuade more quality projects like this.
Yes definitly excited for part III Tonight and this is HUGE bigger then I first realized. From this your right will be more incredible TV like this that we can finally appreciate and loo foward to. Getting to sit there with my Father who was in the service, on Memorial day and got to spend that night both.of us appreciating enjoying the American story and History this really is. Man this is like a really amazing movie definitly could have been movie theaters worthy easily but we all get to watch, and enjoy it at home thought it was best TV debut in a while. Very pleased : )
EXCELLENT show!! Kudos to everyone tht had a hand in this. I give it a 9.5 out of 10 and thats because of the commercials. Even there I cant blame History Channel for trying to reap some revenue....those actors could not have been cheap. Once agaon...GREAT JOB! Oh.......re:Romaina vs W.Virgina.....I'm sure its a lot easier with the background in Romania...too many WallyWorlds in America..BugerKings, Macdonalds,,,you get the picture.
This mini-series is a welcome break from the crush of reality shows that the network continuously tries to foist on us.
Saw the first episode, I thought it was really uneven and incredibly boring. Deadwood is still by far the best acted, best written of the western genre – by far.
Gosh, they really should have posted more pictures of Kevin Costner!
I have been excited about this mini-series ever since I first saw it advertised. I love to watch westerns and Kevin Costner is one of the best when it comes to westerns.....Dancing with Wolves, Open Trail.....I love them. I have not studied the feud to know if the movie is accurate but I have been thoroughly entertained and I can't wait for part 3 tonight. I couldn't care less where it was filmed, the setting looks perfect to me.... beautiful hills and valleys. To those of you fussing over the movie not being filmed in the US..."can't you just enjoy the movie and shut up?". Kudos to the History Channel for making a great movie that I will want to watch again and again.
It's not a western. Last I looked, Kentucky and West Virginia were in the east, and so was the Civil War. Check the US map.
This mini series has been great. Acting, writing, directing, just great and a fascinating story it is.
I think the show is great. The only thing is I wish it was filmed here. They are making lots of money on this show and I think they could have spent the extra money and filmed it here in the USA.
There's nowhere to film it. We've overbuilt the USA!
Please stop with the whole "Why wasn't it filmed here?" A lot of stuff isn't filmed here. Half the show on TV are shot in Vancouver. It's called cheaper labor elsewhere. Do you actually think the History Channel can blow 200 million to make a movie? No, they can't. They obviously went overseas in order to make the movie at all. What's better... stay here and put the whole project on the shelf. Try shopping a script around that's historical and see how many investors you'll get. Hollywood avoids historical projects like the plague because they often don't sell as well as the latest car chase opus. A sad situation but that's the reality out there.
Tombstone did pretty well.....
I totally agree. It would be pretty costly and risky to film Hatfields & McCoys in the states. Remember, this isn't HBO or Cinemax – it's the History Channel. They don't exactly have the same kind of monetary muscle. I'll settle for an excellent story and excellent acting – which it seems like we got. Case closed.
I didn't realize Canada was "overseas". Shocking that US labor costs are so high given the education levels.
Nate.......sponsors pay. A tv show gathers sponsors like producers gather investors for movies.
The mention of old Clint Eastwood westerns brings up a very valid point. Hollywood had a term for those older westerns. They called them "spaghetti westerns" because most of them were filmed overseas, sometimes in Italy, to keep costs down. You should remember that most of the bad guys in Clint's westerns weren't indians, they were supposedly mexicans. What better resource for spanish speaking extras than a country where spanish is a first or second language? Do some research and you will find that a lot of today's television series are shot on location in Canada. Why, cost, plain and simple. Why begrudge a film company for trying to keep their costs down. It's common practice in Hollywood.
Kudos to the Hisitory channel for this mini-series. I have really enjoyed it. Please, more programming like Hatfields & McCoys!!! The cast has been excellent. One suggestion though. Cut the frequent commercials in favor of a longer intermission.
It's about time the History Channel got back to programs about history, rather than waste time with stupid shows like Swamp People, Axe Men, American Pickers and Pawn Stars. Just goes to show that people who watch the History Channel want more shows about HISTORY! Hatfield and McCoy's has been awesome so far.
American Pickers shows the history of our "stuff". It is a good show
Yes, very accurate from my research. My great great grandmother was a Hatfield, though only a distant cousin to the feuding Hatfields.
I don't know why people are so bent out of shape that this movie was filmed in Romania and not the USA. I have visited both KY and WVA and agree that it's beautiful country. However, as long as the backdrop looks the same I don't care where it was filmed as I prefer they get quality actors and a quality script as opposed to keep the filmin in the US where the cost is roughly four times as much for filming.
It's called JOBS.
its cause when a channel, that is about History, and they are making a doc about history, you dont go to another country to make it! Its false, its fake and doesnt matter how good the actors are...and its a disgrace that companies do this, just to avoid taxes! Hey Congress, These companies are avoiding paying taxes, cant we ban them too??
Contrary to a post above, the two families were not on opposing sides of the war. The family monarchs were best friends, fought on the same side . . . one deserted and that started the annimosity. Just snowballed from multiple other events from there. From the movie, Randall McCoy's inability to accept his friend's desertion started the ball rolling. . . assuming the movie is factual. It was SO avoidable and as far as anyone still carrying the "grudge" – they're just stupid.
Lily, try doing some research. The Hatfields were Confederate sympathizers and the McCoys were majority pro Union (Asa McCoy WAS a Union soldier). The History channel added that bit of difference with Ran'l and Anse together during the war for creative story telling.
The part about Devil Anse going AWOL is only partly true. After he came back to Logan County he started a group of Gorilla fighters called the Logan Wildcats which fought in many battles supporting the Confederacy. I wish they would have included this part in the show. They have left out many facts that would have made the show more interesting if they had done a little more research. I live in the area and have many friends who are direct descendants of Devil Anse, my wife is a relative but not a direct descendant.
Randolph and Anse did fight on the confederacy side during the civil war. There are differing accounts of how many McCoys were union supporters... some say many were union supporters, some say many were confederacy supporters. No need to get snippy.
Give me a break! Filmed in ROMANIA? Thats like filming the Russion revolution in Kansas!
Glad to see the film doing well. I am from that area (born Pike County, KY & reared Mingo County, WV) and although I wish it could have been filmed in the area where the events occurred, I understand budget concerns and why it was filmed abroad.
Never been a Costner fan, but saw a quick preview of the show and it looked wonderful, so set TIVO to record tonight's three parts.
PLEASE – no nonsense answers...does any history buff out there know the reason for this feud? Saw a family member from each side on the Anderson show last week....Good grief! – the Hatfield lady is still carrying on this feud!....YIKES!!!
It was a few incidents. The first major one was a pig belonging to one family wandered on to the other family's land and the second family claimed it. A witness who was related to both families testified on one family's behalf and the other family shot him in revenge. It lasted several decades and maybe 10 people were killed. I doubt the miniseries will be very faithful to history.
The two families were on opposite sides of the civil war. Add a few incidents plus a few hot heads, and you get a feud.
This may sound like a nonsense answer, but it's not... I believe it all started with the theft of a pig, and the general North-South tension of the Civil War.
It's kinda unclear, but the prominent version is that after returning from war, Mr. Hatfield had a form of PTSD and was distraught over his daughter having an eye for a former confederate soldier. It later got worse when someone killed a pig. It's always over a pig.
I took an American Fokelore class as an undergrad. It wasn't my first choice but it ended up being an awesome class. From what I have seen so far this show is accurate in describing how the fued got started. Popular legend states that it started with the thief of the pig or the fact that the Hatfield found the McCoy pig. Who knows what really happened concerning the hog. However, tensions really started when Randal's brother ( Union vet) was killed. It seems like everyone "knew" who killed him but no one was ever arrested. Things just got worse and worse and after about 30 years more than 12 or 15 people (can't remember the exact number) were killed. I have only seen the first episode ( I have #2 on my DVR) but what I have seen is a good telling of the story. I'm one of those people that get annoyed when movies completely "remake" history so it is nice to see this film do a great job in keeping it real or as real as it can be without any living witnessess.
There have been many books and movies made about the H/M feud, and the History Channel's version is the worst EVER. This depiction- no, this grotesque DISTORTION- only plays into the Appalachian myths of old- and most contrary to the actual events and culture. Congratulations, History Channel- once again, you have made a farce out of history. And to those singing its praises: Just keep on drinkin' the kool-aid....
What's next for the History Channel-? George Washington giving the Gettysburg Address, perhaps? Lots of Kool-aid to go 'round-
they had to film it elsewhere. i used to live in the area. it is NOT the same as it was back then. the mining of coal has greatly changed the landscape as well as growth in the area.
Powers Boothe classes up any joint
Agree, Powers Booth is a great character actor.
I didn't know what to expect...but after 30 minutes I was hooked. I was also a big fan of Deadwood and would like to see more shows like this.
Any particular reason why this quintessentially American story was filmed in Romania? With Romanian actors no less? And I am NOT casting any aspersions on that beautiful country or it's people, but what were they thinking? And do NOT tell me that they couldn't find anywhere in this country to film it. The area of West Virginia/Kentucky where the feud actually took place looks almost exactly the same now as it did then. It's bad enough when other industries outsource US jobs, but this takes the cake.
Because it's many times less expensive to shoot there. Which is, of course, the American Way to conduct business; get your product made for the least amount of money and sell for the most. That's capitalism. Like it or leave it. Maybe move to Romania?
Robin, kudos to you for bringing up a very great point!! smart girl you are!!
slainte
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That's easy...cost. Even with travel is just costs way less to film overeseas. Remember, this isn't like a movie release that rakes in millions. This is a made for TV mini-series.....
Some of the greatest westerns ever made were not even made in the United States but in Europe. Example being: the Man with No Name Trilogy that made Clint Eastwood a star. He and a few actors were from the States the rest were from Spain and Italy. That was why they were called Spaghetti Westerns. This looks like the same concept but was filmed in Romania. Not a big deal if you like Westerns. You would be surprised how long that practice has been going on.
said in lisa simpsons voice "why would robin want to move to romania? that doesn't make sense..."
I'm sure all the products you buy are American made, and all the food you eat is American grown. Also, I'm sure the soap box you're standing on was built by American workers with American-made materials. Pfffffffffff...
Money!. I love the History channel but its obvious they don't have the deep pockets like a major network or even HBO to film this here. I have no doubt the price difference would be significant. The History channel gets to make the film they want without interference from any investors that would have to be involved to make it here.Thats my opinion
It's all about the budget. I'm sure it's cheaper to film in Romania than in the US.
The reason? Money.
Cheaper to film there than here.
It was more than money. It is now difficult to find locations in West Virginia without visible telephone or power lines or other present-day trappings near roadways and buildings that you can use as your base for film making, especially if you are trying to get panoramic shots. Also, filmmakers said they could not find the infrastructure to support film making there. There were apparently no sound stages in the area (usually the local university film department has one, but there were none there). Apparently other local resources film makers used were lacking. Romania had the infrastructure and plenty of locations without visible lines or 20th century bridges.
I'm GAY! I'm GAY & proud. I challange any of you to a fist-fight! YEEEE-HHHAAAWWWWWWW!
How accurate the story is I'm not sure , but as for the period, I'm very impressed. The dress the money the speech, very good.
Pretty accurate based on the stories told down through my family. My maiden name was McCoy and we traced our roots back to the infamous feud. Nothing we brag about, but still a good story. lol
Ratings that'd make even the big networks' jealous. Congrats, History Channel.
Not typically a show I would watch but since my son wanted to I actually enjoyed watching it with him! I will be tuning in for the rest and thank you much for actual entertainment!!!
It was a great show , right up there with Deadwood ,Spartacus and Band of Brothers .
"Deadwood" was amazing!
WHEN EMMY TIME COMES AROUND AGAIN...WATCH HOW MANY AWARDS THIS MINI-SERIES WILL CAPTURE!!!! ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!! AND BEST ACTING KUDO'S TO BOTH PAXTON AND COSTNER!!!
LOVE IT!!!!!!.
My daddy's side is a part of the Hatfield family, so I've grown up listening to stories of our family. Watching this show has been interesting as well crazy since names are so familiar.
"my daddy?".... redneck
Who cares if it accurate,
there is nothing else on interesting, we all seem to spend our TV viewing time clicking the remote and going from station to station, no wonder the cooking channel seems to be the most watched !
at least this is entertaining ! Thanks history channel,
Phenomenal show, regardless of how accurate it may or may not be.
How this didn't make it to the big screen I will never know....? We watched part 1 last night and we're on for part 2 this evening. This is very interesting and educational and it gets a 4 star from me. Just raw acting....awesome!
Why not the big screen: Simple: Six hours. Most films run 90-100 minutes. Same reason things like Band of Brothers was a mini-series. Some stories simply cannot be told in 90 minutes.
When history meets Hollywood, history always gets mugged. For facts, read books. For entertainment, accept the reality Hollywood takes liberties and just enjoy. Want real history in film? Only Gods and Generals ever delivered.
Good story about how things escalate and it's hard to pick who is at fault.
What an excellent way of putting it!
Didn't see it but I doubt it is accurate. All hollywood interpretations of Scotts-Irish clan fueding in the southern apps have allways come up short... Only one ever came close... Can you guess???
It's a mini-series that of course is not 100% accurate, but portrays a great depiction of a true story. All movies that are based on true stories are not 100% accurate. It's not about being 100%, it's about making millions.
This was a really good show! I watched the first half hour again, and I am looking forward to part 2 tonight. Great cast maid me check it out but the story, tempo, language and stage set kept me watching.
eew clearly they were counting it if people were channel surfing and stopped on that crappy show for 2 seconds
And since you didn't watch it how exactly do you know that it was crappy?
The Hatfields & McCoys was better than I thought it would be. Kevin Costner is awesome. I'm a little biased though because "Dances With Wolves" is one of my top ten favorite movies. And anybody who has seen the movie "Aliens" knows how awesome Bill Paxton can be!
Game over man! Game over!