Arkansas Traveler (web series)

Last updated

Arkansas Traveler
GenreDrama, Western
Written by Sean Bridgers
Directed bySean Bridgers
Michael Hemschoot
Starring Garret Dillahunt
Angela Bettis
Sean Bridgers
ComposersJason Cangialosi
Paul Oehlers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers Michael Hemschoot
Sean Bridgers
Ed Leydecker
Shane Seley
CinematographyShane Seley
Editor Michael Hemschoot
Running time3–6 minutes
Production companyTravelin' Productions
Original release
ReleaseJune 14, 2017 (2017-06-14) 
present

Arkansas Traveler is an American indie Western web series written by American actor and screenwriter, Sean Bridgers, and co-directed with Michael Hemschoot. The series cast includes, Garret Dillahunt, Angela Bettis and Bridgers. It premiered on Digital distribution platforms YouTube [1] and Vimeo [2] on June 14, 2017 with the first of six episodes, "Enter the Traveler" [3]

Contents

Cast

RoleActorEpisodes
Wayland McGlawhorn Garret Dillahunt 1–6
Myrtle Angela Bettis 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
John Bones Sean Bridgers 2, 3, 6
The Tavern Keep Andre du Broc 1, 4, 5
Ezra P. Roscoe (The Baldman) W. Scott Mason 2, 4, 5
Carpetbagger Gregg Higginbotham 5

Production

In 2010 the filmmakers produced an original teaser for a feature film based on Bridger's screenplay with the web series cast. [4] Principal photography was conducted in and around Kansas City. [5] [6] Post production for the teaser and also the re-packaging of the footage as the 2017 web series was conducted by Michael Hemschoot in Travelin Production's Colorado facilities. [7] The resulting 10-minute series was shown at the 2010 Little Rock Film Festival.

Bridgers' original screenplay for the feature film the series is based on has received praise from the series star, Garret Dillahunt, who said, "I think it is one of the most beautiful scripts I've read in the past decade." [8] Fellow Deadwood cast member, Ray McKinnon also said it was one of the best un-produced scripts he's read in the past decade. [9]

In a 2017 interview, Bridgers said Travelin' Productions is working towards making Arkansas Traveler a feature film or to continue the web series. [10]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Enter the Traveler"Sean Bridgers & Michael HemschootSean BridgersJune 14, 2017 (2017-06-14)
Indian Territories, 1865 – a lone traveler, Wayland McGlawhorn (Dillahunt), ambushes and kills several men at a campfire for unknown reasons. In Missouri, months earlier, as the traveler visits a tavern, he offers a lady (Bettis) a drink.
2"John Bones, You Know..."Sean Bridgers & Michael HemschootSean BridgersJune 21, 2017 (2017-06-21)
Wayland (Dillahunt) wakes in a Union prison camp and is greeted by a mysterious stranger (Bridgers). Myrtle (Bettis) opens up to Wayland about her losses during the war, until a booming voice from upstairs interrupts them, prompting Wayland to ready his trigger finger.
3"I Was with Them When They Passed"Sean Bridgers & Michael HemschootSean BridgersJune 28, 2017 (2017-06-28)
Back in the Union prison camp, the mysterious stranger, John Bones (Bridgers) talks in riddles to Wayland (Dillahunt), while laying out a plan for escape from Rock Island. Bones' offer to help Wayland get home to Arkansas comes at a price.
4"Wake a Sleeping Giant"Sean Bridgers & Michael HemschootSean BridgersJuly 5, 2017 (2017-07-05)
After following John Bones' (Bridgers) plan for escape from Rock Island, Wayland is on the run from Union patrols. Back in the tavern, Wayland (Dillahunt) comes face to face with Myrtle's (Bettis) captor, the menacing Baldman, Ezra P. Roscoe (Mason).
5"Well, Mr. President"Sean Bridgers & Michael HemschootSean BridgersJuly 12, 2017 (2017-07-12)
On the run from Union soldiers, Wayland (Dillahunt) stumbles across a timid Carpetbagger who unwittingly provides opportunity for Wayland's cover. Later, a deadly confrontation crescendos in the Baldman's lair between Wayland and Ezra P. Roscoe (Mason), in which Myrtle finds opportunity.
6"You can't ride with me"Sean Bridgers & Michael HemschootSean BridgersJuly 19, 2017 (2017-07-19)
Liberated from the Baldman, Myrtle (Bettis) has decided to join Wayland (Dillahunt) on his journey home to Arkansas, whether he likes it or not. We later see Wayland, masked, and alone on his horse as the sinister voice of John Bones (Bridgers) booms over the landscape and a thundering storm.

Reception

Sam Gutelle, reviewed the series for Tubefilter, writing: "Thanks to its smooth-talking, whiskey-drinking, gun-slinging elements, Arkansas Traveler contains everything it needs to appeal to the western fans who are its target audience. At the same time, its washed out, low-lit style brings something new to the genre..." [11]

Laura Beck, in The Village Voice , included the series in her "...TV Not to Miss..." piece, writing: "...this Civil War–era tale stars the ever-wonderful Garret Dillahunt and Angela Bettis alongside [Sean] Bridgers, and it’s got tons of gun slinging and whiskey drinking, as you might expect from a production with serious Deadwood roots. I have a feeling this will appeal to fans of the departed HBO series and it’s flying a bit under the radar, so consider this a PSA to watch it ASAP." [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack McCall</span> Murderer of Wild Bill Hickok

John McCall ;, also known as "Crooked Nose" or "Broken Nose Jack", was the murderer of Old West legend Wild Bill Hickok. McCall shot Hickok from behind as he played poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, on August 2, 1876. McCall was executed for the murder on March 1, 1877.

<i>Deadwood</i> (TV series) American television series (2004–2006)

Deadwood is an American Western television series that aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006. The series is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before and after the area's annexation by the Dakota Territory, and charts Deadwood's growth from camp to town. The show was created, produced, and largely written by David Milch. Deadwood features a large ensemble cast headed by Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane, playing the real-life Deadwood residents Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen, respectively. Many other historical figures appear as characters, including George Crook, Wyatt Earp, E. B. Farnum, George Hearst, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Sol Star, A. W. Merrick, Jack McCall, and Charlie Utter. The plot lines involving these characters include historical truths as well as substantial fictional elements. Milch used actual diaries and newspapers from 1870s Deadwood residents as reference points for characters, events, and the look and feel of the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garret Dillahunt</span> American actor

Garret Lee Dillahunt is an American actor. He is best known for his work in television, including the roles Burt Chance on the Fox sitcom Raising Hope, for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, Jack McCall and Francis Wolcott in Deadwood, and John Dorie in Fear the Walking Dead. He has also appeared in The 4400, ER, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Burn Notice, Justified, and The Mindy Project. He starred in the Amazon Studios drama series Hand of God (2014–2017).

"Deadwood" is the first episode of the first season of the HBO original series of the same name. The episode was written by David Milch and directed by Walter Hill. It first aired on March 21, 2004.

Raymond "Ray" William Johnson is an American internet celebrity best known for his eponymous YouTube channel and his web series on that channel, Equals Three. In 2013, the channel surpassed 10 million subscribers and had over 2 billion views, making it one of the most watched and subscribed to channels at the time. For a 564 day period from June 2011 to January 2013 the channel was the most-subscribed YouTube channel, during which it also became the first channel to reach 5 million subscribers. Johnson left the series in March 2014 but continued to produce it and other web series like Booze Lightyear, Comedians On, and Top 6, the first two of which were later cancelled.

<i>MyMusic</i> American TV series or program

MyMusic is an American web transmedia mockumentary sitcom created by the Fine Brothers that premiered on April 15, 2012, on the MyMusicShow YouTube channel. The series follows a group of co-workers that are employed under a music production company. MyMusic is the first transmedia sitcom on YouTube. The series was part of YouTube's Original Channel Initiative.

John Henry Ross was a decorated World War II pilot who flew 96 missions for the 22nd Reconnaissance Squadron as part of the 7th Reconnaissance Group in the 8th Air Force. Ross flew the Lockheed P-38 Lightning as a photo-recon pilot out of RAF Mount Farm in England during the war. He received 11 medals and 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Streamy Awards</span> 2013 awards ceremony recognizing online video

The 3rd Annual Streamy Awards was the third installment of the Streamy Awards honoring streaming television series. The awards were held on February 17, 2013, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by the founder of Nerdist Industries, Chris Hardwick. Presented three years after the unsuccessful 2nd Streamy Awards which led to the International Academy of Web Television leaving the show, Tubefilter partnered with Dick Clark Productions in an attempt to bolster the credibility of the awards and with hopes of broadcasting the show on television. The show was viewed as more professional than previous years and was praised for its musical performances, but it also received a more mixed reception on its increased focus on mainstream shows and celebrities.

Sean MacKenzie Bridgers is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer, known for his role as Johnny Burns on the HBO series Deadwood and on the SundanceTV original series Rectify as Trey Willis. In addition to many roles in television and film since 1991, Bridgers received acclaim and awards for the independent film Paradise Falls, which he wrote and produced.

Michael "Ffish" Hemschoot is a director, animator and has held a variety of roles as a visual effects artist in major Hollywood films. Since 1996, Hemschoot has worked on films such as Mars Attacks!, What Dreams May Come, The Matrix, Hollow Man, Black Hawk Down, Minority Report and National Treasure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toby Turner</span> American internet personality and actor (born 1985)

Toby Turner, also known by his stage name Tobuscus, is an American Internet personality and actor. Originally from Niceville, Florida, he is best known for his YouTube videos. As of October 2024, Turner has a total of over 14.50 million subscribers and over 3.919 billion video views over his three YouTube channels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worker Studio</span> American animation studio

Worker Studio is an American animation and visual effects company based in Centennial, Colorado, founded in 2009 by Michael "Ffish" Hemschoot. The company has provided visual effects for a number of short films including Angela Bettis' segment E is for Exterminate in the horror anthology film The ABCs of Death. In 2013, the studio began developing an animated adaptation of Phil Hartman's comedy album, Phil Hartman's Flat TV, which was posthumously released in 2002 after he performed and recorded it in 1978. The studio is also the production company behind the animated documentary John Ross: American, based on the life of World War II pilot John H. Ross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Zaragoza</span> American internet celebrity (born 1982)

Esteban "Steve" Zaragoza is an American online personality, singer-songwriter, musician and web series host, notable for his work on the current events and news series SourceFed. Zaragoza became a host on the series in 2012. The following year, Zaragoza became a host on its spin-off channel, SourceFedNERD. On his personal YouTube channel, Zaragoza frequently combines or crosses between dark, deadpan, surreal, character, and sketch comedy in a non-sequitur fashion.

Uproxx is a popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital in 2014. The site's target audience is men aged 18–34. It was acquired by Warner Music Group in August 2018, with Myer and CEO Benjamin Blank remaining in control of the company's operations.

Ashley Clements is an American actress. She starred as Lizzie Bennet in the Emmy-winning web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

<i>Deadwood: The Movie</i> 2019 TV film

Deadwood: The Movie is a 2019 American Western television film directed by Daniel Minahan and written by David Milch for HBO. It is a continuation of the television series of the same name, which was created by Milch and ran for three seasons from 2004 to 2006. The film reunites the majority of the large ensemble cast, including Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Paula Malcomson, John Hawkes, and Gerald McRaney, and premiered on May 31, 2019.

<i>BlackBoxTV Presents</i> American horror anthology series

BlackBoxTV Presents is an American horror anthology web series created by Tony E. Valenzuela and Philip DeFranco. The first season, which featured a cast of YouTube creators including DeFranco, iJustine, and Shane Dawson, was self-funded by Valenzuela and debuted on the BlackBoxTV YouTube channel on August 17, 2010.

<i>Turnt</i> 2018 American TV series or program

Turnt is an American teen drama streaming television series created by Rachel Stern that premiered on August 1, 2018 on Facebook Watch.

Threadbanger is an American YouTube channel run by Rob Czar and Corinne Leigh producing primarily DIY and crafting content. The channel is known for such series as Man vs. Pin, Corinne vs. Pin, Man vs. House, and the YouTube Red series Do or DIY.

"The Door" is the eighth episode and mid-season premiere of the sixth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series Fear the Walking Dead. The 77th episode overall, "The Door" was released on the streaming platform AMC+ on April 4, 2021, in the United States, and aired on television on AMC one week later, on April 11, 2021. The episode was directed by Michael Satrazemis and written by Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg.

References

  1. "Arkansas Traveler EP01 A Western Web Series". YouTube. June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  2. "Arkansas Traveler Episode 01 "Enter the Traveler" A Western Web Series". Vimeo. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  3. "Enter the Traveler". IMDB. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  4. McEntire, John. "Interview with: ARKANSAS TRAVELER FILMMAKERS". Oxford American. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  5. Sealover, Ed. "Colorado film industry primed". Denver Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  6. Millar, Lindsey (August 9, 2010). "Sneak peek at 'Arkansas Traveler'". Arkansas Times. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  7. "ARKANSAS TRAVELER: WILD WEST WEB SERIES". Balladeer's Blog. July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  8. "Garret Dillahunt Interviews". raisinghope-tv. livejournal.com. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  9. Martin, Philip. "ON FILM: Civil War film has potential for greatness if it gets made". ArkansasOnline. www.arkansasonline.com/. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  10. Trembath, Ron (August 11, 2017). "Sean Bridgers [Interview]". TRAINWRECK'D SOCIETY. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  11. Gutelle, Sam (June 30, 2017). "Indie Spotlight: 'Arkansas Traveler,' With 'Deadwood' Ties, Is A Dark And Gritty Western". Tubefilter. Tubefilter, Inc. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  12. Beck, Laura (August 2, 2017). "Here's All the TV Not to Miss This Hot, Dumb August". The Village Voice. VILLAGE VOICE, LLC. Retrieved August 7, 2017.