Cowboys & Indians

Transforming Melody Ranch Into Deadwood

The setting for HBO’s notorious Western series once hosted the
heroics of Tom Mix, Gene Autry, and … Elvis?

by David Hofstede

All-American Mustang If the town of Deadwood looks genuine in the HBO series of the same name, that’s because, for the most part, it is. Located at Melody Ranch, a film studio 35 miles north of Los Angeles, HBO’s reproduction of the 19th-century South Dakota town consists of real streets and real buildings, some of which you could happily call home, as long as you wouldn’t miss indoor plumbing.

When a new character required a new house, HBO built one. And when producers decided that Deadwood needed a grittier look, the entire set was remodeled. Such are the benefits of a $4.5 million or so per episode budget. No wonder the series earned rave reviews for its distinctive look and an Emmy in 2005 for its design. “In the end, I don’t think we could have done this anywhere else,” Gregg Fienberg, the show’s executive producer, told the Los Angeles Times.

Read the complete story in the pages of Cowboys & Indians magazine at your local newsstand or call (800) 982-5370.

Top of Page