It’s weird to see HBO fail.
The network has become a behemoth of television, a force not to be messed with. Again and again, HBO has produced hits that not only bring in ratings but, more importantly, get people talking for weeks and months and years. The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Westworld — these are just a few of the success stories that make HBO such a crucial part of the Golden Age of Television.
Seeing HBO stumble or make a mistake just feels bizarre. It’s like watching Steph Curry miss an easy free throw or Superman get his cape stuck in the phone booth door. It’s an exception, a bizarre fluke.
Today we are talking about HBO’s short-lived Luck, a series that had all the makings of something huge. It was created by an acclaimed writer, had a wonderful cast including one of the biggest actors of all time and its pilot was directed by a brilliant filmmaker. Luck should have been a hit. Luck should have cleaned up at the Emmys. Luck should have been the next big thing.
Luck most definitely was not.
David Milch created Luck. HBO fans know Milch, he is the man behind Deadwood, the beloved western series that is considered one of HBO’s finest. Milch is known for his rapid-fire dialogue and generally gritty characters who do generally gritty things; he isn’t writing The Waltons. He is a great fit for HBO because he is a definite auteur, someone who values art and character. He also doesn’t dumb down his work for the audience, you have to keep up with David Milch. He is an aggressive writer who will throw dialogue and character at your face and won’t hold your hand. He also likes a lot of violence and naughty language and sex — things that HBO can’t get enough of.
Luck premiered after the cancellation of Deadwood a few years before and the misfire of Milch’s follow-up, the bizarre John From Cincinnati. Deadwood’s end was a sore spot for Milch and many devoted fans. People were still pissed that they never got a proper ending to the show (that would come years later, of course). The cancellation of John From Cincinnati was a vastly different case because that show was never truly, well, good. It had all the hallmarks of a prestige TV show but was actually quite hollow and forgettable. So HBO’s track record with Milch was mixed and they wanted a hit from him more than anyone. Milch is their type of creative, they were happy to be in business with him because he was so on brand for them. Thusly, HBO pushed full-steam ahead with Luck, promoting the hell out of it and making sure Milch had every chance to succeed.
The series starred Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, Kevin Dunn, John Ortiz, Richard Kind, Ted freakin’ Levine and many more. It was a fine collection of many character actors, familiar faces who also brought lots of talent. The show revolved around the shady and fast-paced world of horse racing, a subject Milch had plenty of knowledge about because he had been into horse racing since childhood. To get things started, the pilot episode of Luck was directed by Michael Mann, one of the best directors around. Like I said, everything was set for success.
And, sure enough, the show got off to a decent-if-not-incredible start. The series premiere brought in 1.06 million viewers, not bad at all for a brand new show on premium cable. Critics really enjoyed the show, especially Milch’s poetic dialogue and the impressive cast. Luck really had a chance to be the next big thing.
But then the true nasty nature of horse racing made itself known. Just three months after the show’s premiere — and after HBO had already committed to a second season — the network suspended production to investigate the deaths of not one, not two but three horses on-set. PETA was outraged and the more level-headed American Humane Association called for the show to be placed on a permanent hold until the investigation was complete and changes were made. HBO swore up and down that they were doing things the right way, only making the horses race for short sequences before resting them for hours. They noted that the injuries leading to euthanization of the animals didn’t even happen during filming or racing but they were still insistent on finding a solution.
HBO’s solution? Cancel Luck. One day after they agreed to suspend filming, HBO released a statement which said that although the network “maintained the highest safety standards throughout production…accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future.” So HBO shut it all down, for good. Luck was no more. The cancelation came as the second season was already being filmed. That second season was never formally released in any capacity and Luck quickly disappeared into the annals of HBO history.
It’s a damn shame that Luck was canceled and it’s actually a bit surprising that HBO didn’t try to funnel some of its massive wealth into making CGI horses or something. There were options and ways the show and network could have moved forward but they decided to put things to bed instead. They didn’t want to have a show that had euthanized three horses, that’s a hard stink to wash off. They certainly didn’t want to seem like they condoned risky work environments and they didn’t want PETA and other animal rights groups justifiably coming after them for all of Luck’s run. Yes, Luck was off to a good start. Yes, it could have ended up growing into an awards contender and ratings draw. But HBO ultimately chose the right route. Some things are bigger than ratings, awards and Ted freakin’ Levine.
At the start of this piece, I said it’s weird to see HBO fail. That’s true, it’s an odd occurrence. But it was even weirder to see HBO fail like this: not because of lackluster ratings or creative differences but because of three horses dying. It was a unique and shitty situation. It was further proof that horse racing is, in fact, torturous and should be avoided at all costs. HBO, David Milch and everyone involved learned that the hard way.