Hell on Wheels | |
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Genre | |
Created by | |
Showrunners |
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Starring | |
Theme music composer | Gustavo Santaolalla |
Composer | Kevin Kiner |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 57 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production locations | Calgary, Alberta, Canada [1] |
Cinematography |
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Running time | 40-50 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | AMC |
Release | November 6, 2011 – July 23, 2016 |
Hell on Wheels is an American Western television series about the construction of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States, which broadcast in the United States and Canada on the cable channel AMC, from November 6, 2011 [2] to July 23, 2016. The series, which features Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, Common, and Dominique McElligott, chronicles the Union Pacific Railroad and its laborers, mercenaries, prostitutes, surveyors, and others who lived, worked, and died in the mobile encampment, called "Hell on Wheels", that followed the railhead west across the Great Plains.
In particular, the story focuses on Cullen Bohannon (Mount), a former Confederate soldier who initially joins the railroad to track down Union soldiers who murdered his wife and young son during the American Civil War. In the process he becomes a foreman and eventually chief engineer on the railroad.
The series was created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton, and developed by Endemol USA, under the stewardship of senior vice-president of scripted programming Jeremy Gold, and it is produced by Entertainment One and Nomadic Pictures. [2] In 2012, AMC announced creators Joe and Tony Gayton were no longer involved in the day-to-day production of the series. [3] On December 12, 2012, AMC announced that writer John Wirth would take over as showrunner for the third season.
Season one (2011–12) began in 1865, shortly after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Season two (2012) covered 1866, seasons three (2013) and four (2014) opened in 1867, and season five (2015–16) carried the series into 1869.
Actor | Character | Seasons | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
Part 1 | Part 2 | ||||||
Anson Mount | Cullen Bohannon | Main | |||||
Colm Meaney | Thomas C. Durant | Main | |||||
Common | Elam Ferguson | Main | |||||
Dominique McElligott | Lily Bell | Main | |||||
Tom Noonan | Reverend Nathaniel | Main | Guest | ||||
Eddie Spears | Joseph Black Moon | Main | |||||
Ben Esler | Seán McGinnes | Main | |||||
Phil Burke | Mickey McGinnes | Main | |||||
Christopher Heyerdahl | Thor Gundersen "The Swede" | Recurring | Main [a] | ||||
Robin McLeavy | Eva Toole (née Oates) | Recurring | Main | ||||
Kasha Kropinski | Ruth Cole | Guest | Recurring | Main [b] | |||
Dohn Norwood | Psalms Jackson | Recurring | Main | ||||
Jennifer Ferrin | Louise Ellison | Main | |||||
Siobhan Williams | Naomi Hatch | Guest | |||||
MacKenzie Porter | Main | ||||||
Jake Weber | John Campbell | Main | Recurring | ||||
Tim Guinee | Collis Huntington | Guest | Main | ||||
Byron Mann | Chang | Main | |||||
Reg Rogers | James Strobridge | Main | |||||
Angela Zhou | Mei / Fong | Main | |||||
Chelah Horsdal | Maggie Palmer | Recurring | Main | ||||
Actor | Character | Seasons | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
Part 1 | Part 2 | ||||||
April Telek | Nell | Recurring | |||||
Duncan Ollerenshaw | Gregory Toole | Recurring | |||||
Chris Ippolito | Young Engineer | Recurring | |||||
Ian Tracey | Bolan | Recurring | |||||
James D. Hopkin | Senator Jordan Crane | Recurring | |||||
Diego Diablo Del Mar | Dix | Recurring | |||||
Wes Studi | Chief Many Horses | Recurring | |||||
Gerald Auger | Pawnee Killer | Recurring | |||||
James Dugan | Carl the Bartender | Guest | Recurring | ||||
Grainger Hines | Doc Whitehead | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Virginia Madsen | Mrs. Hannah Durant | Recurring | |||||
James Shanklin | Aaron Hatch | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Kevin Davey | Paddy Quinn | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Haysam Kadri | Dutch Dufray | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Leon Ingulsrud | Major Augustus Bendix | Recurring | Recurring | ||||
Tayden Marks | Ezra Dutson | Recurring | |||||
Serge Houde | Congressman Oakes Ames | Recurring | |||||
Damian O'Hare | Declan Toole | Recurring | |||||
David Wilson Barnes | Martin Delaney | Recurring | |||||
Gregg Henry | Brigham Young | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Andrew Howard | Dandy Johnny Shea | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Kevin Blatch | Judge Webber | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Jonathan Scarfe | Sydney Snow | Recurring | |||||
Billy Wickman | Heckard | Recurring | |||||
Peter Benson | Marshal Jessup | Recurring | |||||
Gia Crovatin | Mrs. Delaney | Recurring | |||||
Amber Chardae Robinson | Mary Fields | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Josh Caras | Phineas Young | Recurring | |||||
Tzi Ma | Tao | Recurring | |||||
In 1865, former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) journeys to the Union Pacific Railroad's westward construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad, seeking both work and vengeance on the Union soldiers who killed his wife and son. Cullen gets hired by the railroad and supervises an all-black "cut crew", including Elam (Common), whose job is to prepare the terrain for track laying. Through conversation with the railroad foreman, Daniel Johnson (Ted Levine), Cullen learns more about his wife's death, but tragedy strikes before Johnson reveals her killer's name. Thomas "Doc" Durant (Colm Meaney) begins his "mad, noble quest" to expand his Union Pacific westward, in order to complete the transcontinental railroad. Lily Bell (Dominique McElligott) accompanies her ailing husband, Robert (Robert Moloney), as he surveys the landscape for the Union Pacific; when Robert is killed by the Cheyenne natives, Lily must cope with being a widow on foreign soil. Reverend Nathaniel Cole (Tom Noonan) baptizes Joseph Black Moon (Eddie Spears), a Cheyenne, then takes him under his tutelage in the church. Season one ends with Bohannon killing a man he believes was responsible for the rape and murder of his wife, only to discover that man was not there at the time.
Bohannon tries to find himself again while continuing to drive the westward expansion of the Union Pacific Railroad, under Durant's leadership. Bohannon takes up with a gang of train robbers but is turned over to the Union Army and imprisoned. Durant manages to get him pardoned. The railroad construction enters the Sioux territory, where The Swede and a misguided Reverend Cole assist the natives in attacking the railroad. Lily Bell seeks to gain control of the railroad from Durant and mails his accounting ledgers to the government. Army officers arrive to find the town has been attacked by the Sioux.
Bohannon abandons his quest to avenge his wife and son's deaths, in order to battle Durant for control of the Union Pacific Railroad. Eva gives birth to a baby who was sired during her marriage to Gregory Toole. Elam proposes marriage to her, even though her post-partum depression weighs heavily on her. The Swede takes up with a Mormon family on their way to the fictional Fort Smith and later reveals his true nature.
Conflict arises among the government and businesses, ranchers, homesteaders, and the railroad as all of those interests compete with one another for control of Cheyenne, Wyoming, the most important railroad hub in 1867. Meanwhile, the Union Pacific Railroad continues its expansion westward, and Bohannon adjusts to being a husband and father again.
In season 5, set in California and Laramie, Wyoming, [4] Bohannon is hired by the Central Pacific Railroad to build the transcontinental railroad eastward over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He befriends its Chinese workers, including Mei, a woman disguised as a man known as Fong. President Ulysses S. Grant increases the competition between the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad companies. This is further complicated by Thomas Durant's corruption.
Hell on Wheels was created by Joe and Tony Gayton in late 2008, and Endemol USA's scripted television division, headed by senior vice president of original programming Jeremy Gold, came on board to develop the series for AMC. [5] On May 18, 2010, AMC placed a pilot order for Hell on Wheels with Endemol USA. [6] Joe and Tony Gayton wrote the pilot, David Von Ancken was attached to the project as director, and Jeremy Gold, Joe Gayton, and Tony Gayton served as executive producers. On July 6, 2010, Endemol USA announced that they had entered into a partnership with Entertainment One, which would serve as the production studio on the project. [7]
Part of the deal between the two companies included provisions of international distribution, with Endemol retaining rights to the series across Europe, while Entertainment One acquired rights to Hell on Wheels in all remaining territories. [7] As a result of the deal, Entertainment One also holds global rights for DVD and Blu-ray sales, as well as video-on-demand and other digital distribution services. [7] The Canadian production company Nomadic Pictures was brought onto the project to serve as co-producers alongside Entertainment One. [8] The pilot was delivered to AMC executives in November 2010. [8]
On November 12, 2010 it was reported by Deadline that the executives at AMC were impressed with the pilot, and, coupled with the fact that the network had just cancelled their drama series, Rubicon , were likely to order Hell on Wheels to series. [8]
On December 15, 2010, AMC green-lighted the series with an order of 10 episodes. [9] [10] [11] Along with the series pickup, AMC announced that Nomadic Pictures would again co-produce the series, as they had done for the pilot, with Mike Frislev and Chad Oakes joining the series as producers, while John Shiban and David Von Ancken joined the series as executive producers; Von Ancken had previously served as director on the pilot. [11] [12] The network also announced that John Morayniss and Michael Rosenberg would oversee production for Entertainment One, while Joel Stillerman and Susie Fitzgerald would oversee production for AMC. [11] [12]
On July 28, 2011, AMC announced that Hell on Wheels would premiere on November 6, 2011. [2] The series is produced by Entertainment One and Nomadic Pictures.
On November 8, 2011, co-creator Joe Gayton spoke of the series' origins: "We [Tony and I] started talking and remembered this story, American Experience , which was this really great documentary, and I thought, 'God, that's great. I just learned a bunch of stuff I had never learned before.' You just have this cursory information that the Chinese and the Irish built the railroad, but it got in underneath all the dirt and stuff that went on, with the financing of it, and the greed and corruption. And then, I heard about this Hell on Wheels place and I went, 'What a great setting for a western.' So, we pitched that to Jeremy Gold [at Endemol] and ended up taking it to AMC, and they loved it," he said. [13]
On October 29, 2012, AMC renewed Hell on Wheels for a third season, [14] however it was also announced that the series creators and showrunners, Joe and Tony Gayton, "will no longer be involved day-to-day on the show" and series producer/writer/director John Shiban would take over. [3] Following the departure of Shiban, the renewal was put on hold until a replacement could be found. [15] On December 12, 2012, AMC announced that John Wirth, a writer for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles , would be the new showrunner, starting with the show's third season. [16]
Casting announcements began in July 2010, with Common first to be cast. Common portrays Elam Ferguson, "an emancipated slave who is working to achieve true freedom in a world entrenched in prejudice". [2] [17] Next to join the series were Anson Mount and Dominique McElligott, with Mount playing Cullen Bohannon, "a former soldier hell bent on avenging his wife's death", and McElligott playing Lily Bell, "a newly widowed woman trying to survive in a man's world". [2] [18] Colm Meaney was next to be cast as Thomas "Doc" Durant, a "greedy entrepreneur taking full advantage of the changing times". [2] [19] Ben Esler, Phil Burke and Eddie Spears were the last actors to be cast, with Esler playing Seán McGinnes and Burke playing Mickey McGinnes, "two young brothers looking to find their fortune in the new West". Spears was cast as Joseph Black Moon, "a Native American man torn between his culture and the changing world around him". [2] It was later announced that Jesse Lipscombe, Gerald Auger, Robert Moloney and Ted Levine had joined the series as recurring guest stars. [20] [21]
Jennifer Ferrin joined the cast as a series regular for season three, playing a New York Sun journalist covering the construction of the railroad. [22] AMC announced that Dohn Norwood (Psalms) became a series regular for season three. [23]
Jake Weber joined the fourth season's cast. He was initially to portray a carpetbagger seeking to profit from the frontier, [24] but his role changed to John Allen Campbell, first governor of Wyoming. MacKenzie Porter has also been cast. She will replace Siobhan Williams in the role of Naomi, Bohannon's Mormon bride. [25]
Common spoke about the challenges of playing a former slave: "Very challenging. And that's why I took it on. It's a lot of responsibility because what black people went through in slavery, within that system of slavery, was really treacherous. And for me, I felt like I owed it to the people that lived during that time to bring something truthful to the character. And even just revisiting some of the experiences of it, [there] was just a lot of emotion and a lot of pain. At the same time, a lot of strength came from it. What I enjoy most about the character is the fact that he was written so strong, not as just a person that was oppressed and kept his head down." [28]
Canadian actor Christopher Heyerdahl talks about how he got his role and the rarity of a Scandinavian character: "Well, luck and providence, I suppose. They say, 'What's luck? Preparation and opportunity.' So, I guess the opportunity came, in the form of an audition. I put myself on tape, and they responded to it. I went in and did a call-back audition, and they felt that we were on the same track. My idea of who The Swede was, was the same as theirs, and vice versa. This kind of character is very rare, with the fact that it fit so well with my background and my understanding of a Norwegian man. It all just fell into place. I still get a little choked up thinking about how often a character like this comes along. For the viewer, it's quite interesting. It's not a character that we see very often, and certainly not in this form. As an actor, it seemed to be tailor-made for me. It's quite wonderful." [29]
Irish actress Dominique McElligott never expected to be cast in a period American role: "I was hanging out in London, having drinks with friends who are all flight attendants, and they said that they would get me over to America for free, and I could stay and do some meetings and auditions. Hell on Wheels was the first one. I arrived on the 5th of July, and the Hell on Wheels audition was on the 6th or the 7th. It was crazy! They didn't know me, at all. Obviously, I loved the pilot and I loved the character, but I didn't anticipate ever actually getting the chance to do it. When you go up for these brilliant parts, you just figure, 'Okay, well, they're going to pick some American actress, and that will be that.' But, the opportunity was there, and I really enjoyed the audition. It was fun." [30]
Filming of the first season took place in Calgary, as well as areas in central and southern Alberta. [31] The T'suu T'ina Native Indian Reservation, an Indian reserve in southern Alberta, was the location for most of the exteriors. [32]
Exterior filming of the second season was near the Bow River in Calgary. Interior filming was in a building near the city's airport. Series producers expected the filming of the season's ten episodes to take about 80 days. [1]
Filming of the third season was suspended part way through the sixth episode when the location was included in the mandatory evacuation area due to the flooding in southern Alberta. [33] Originally, producers had announced a two-day shut down, when the only road to the location was underwater. [34] Later, on June 21, producers announced that the production hiatus, scheduled to begin June 27, would take effect immediately. [33] Anson Mount shared pictures of the nearby river and exterior sets flooding on June 20 and 21. [33] [35] [36]
Filming of the fourth season's 13 episodes took place along the Bow River. Filming occurred from April 24 to September 24, 2014. [37]
The fifth season's production filming occurred on the CL Ranch, west of Calgary, for the Truckee, California, and Laramie, Wyoming, locations. The Kananaskis Country park system, 40 miles west of the ranch, served as the Sierra Nevada mountains the Central Pacific must cross. [38]
For season one, the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 61% approval rating based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Its Old West setting and central revenge plot may be overly familiar, but Hell on Wheels holds just enough intrigue to keep things interesting." [39] The first season was given 63% on Metacritic based on 28 reviews, indicating a "generally favorable" impression. [40] The second season was given 60% on Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average" reviews, [41] while Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.0/10, and a critical consensus that reads, "While it still feels like it's finding its legs, the second season of Hell on Wheels is more confident than the first and perfectly acceptable for those in need of a Western fix." [42]
The Washington Post 's Hank Stuever rated the show highly, commenting, "Hands down, the most intriguing show on the fall slate. Though imbued with epic sweep, Hell on Wheels is a western at heart, even if that heart is cold. Plenty of guns, knives, arrows, scalpings – mixed with the incendiary socio-psychological wounds left in the Civil War's wake." [43]
Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times says the show "...takes its cues more from the movies than from life. Never, in the episodes I watched, did I feel as if I were actually seeing how a railroad got built, and sometimes it took a bit of squinting not to see the characters as actors in a field, reading lines. Still, for all the unlikely things [the creators] make happen in order to get their characters into place, and the dogged refusal of a couple of those characters to become interesting at all, the show gathers steam as it goes on." [44]
The Wall Street Journal 's Nancy Dewolf Smith comments: " 'Hell on Wheels' finds enough beauty, danger and emotion to make some part of every episode seem fresh and worth waiting for. Not that new is always a good thing. Despite striking performances even in many of the smaller roles, the actors sometimes are made to symbolize very modern obsessions, e.g. with race and gender. The sight of modern sensibilities lurking behind the curtains can break ye olde spell." [45]
Brian Lowry of Variety writes: "While the diverse mix of characters could work to the program's advantage over the long haul, jumping to and fro among them creates a diluted, herky-jerky ride in the early going." [46]
The Washington Post reported that the series has been criticized for not depicting Chinese immigrants during the transcontinental railroad construction scenes. Creator Joe Gayton said "budget-wise and time-wise ... we could really only concentrate on one side of [the railroad building], and that's probably why we, you know, that's why we chose the [emanating from the East Coast] Union Pacific as opposed to the [emanating from the West Coast] Central Pacific." [47] By the fifth season, the show expanded its focus to include a significant look at the role of Chinese immigrant workers in the growth of the railroad.
The pilot, premiering November 6. 2011, was watched by 4.4 million viewers – AMC's second-highest series premiere in history, following The Walking Dead . Among key demographics, the pilot episode was viewed by 2.4 million viewers in the adults 18–49 category, and 2.3 million viewers in the adults 25–54 demographics, according to Nielsen. The total viewership bested network slot rivals CSI: Miami and Pan Am . [48] The sixth episode was watched by 2.15 million viewers, the lowest viewership of the first season and had a 0.6 rating in the 18–49 age range. [49] The viewership numbers eventually rebounded with the season one finale being watched by 2.84 million viewers, maintaining its steady 0.7 rating in the 18–49 age range. [50] In January 2012, following the season one finale, AMC confirmed Hell on Wheels as the network's second-highest rated original series, behind The Walking Dead, averaging three million viewers per episode. [51]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music | Gustavo Santaolalla | Nominated | [52] |
BET Awards | Best Actor | Common | Nominated | [53] | |
Directors Guild of Canada Awards | Best Production Design - Television Series | John Blackie | Nominated | [54] | |
Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing - Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television | John Kincade, Todd Niesen, Shannon Beament | Nominated | [55] | |
2013 | Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actor on Television | Colm Meaney | Nominated | [56] |
BET Awards | Best Actor | Common | Nominated | [57] | |
Irish Film and Television Awards | Best Actor TV | Colm Meaney | Nominated | [58] | |
Hollywood Post Alliance Awards | Outstanding Color Grading - Television | Steven Porter | Nominated | [59] | |
Leo Awards | Best Casting in a Dramatic Series | Jackie Lind | Won | [60] | |
Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Ryan Robbins | Nominated | |||
Directors Guild of Canada Awards | Best Production Design - Television Series | John Blackie | Won | [61] | |
Rosie Awards | Best Dramatic Series | Chad Oakes & Michael Frislev | Won | [62] | |
Best Performance by an Alberta Actor | Duncan Ollerenshaw | Won | |||
Best Performance by an Alberta Actress | Sydney Bell | Nominated | |||
Best Editor (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Bridget Durnford | Won | |||
Best Overall Sound (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Frank Laratta | Nominated | |||
Best Production Designer/Art Director | John Blackie & Bill Ives | Won | |||
Best Costume Designer | Carol Case | Won | |||
Best Make-Up Artist | Gail Kennedy | Won | |||
Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program | Antonio Chang, Jason Fotter, Eric Hayden, Josh Miyaji | Nominated | [63] | |
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program | Matt Von Brock, Jason Fotter, Tim Jacobsen, Bill Kent | Nominated | |||
ACTRA Montreal Awards | Outstanding Male Performance | Christopher Heyerdahl | Won | [64] | |
2014 | Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards | Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling - Television and New Media Series | Chris Glimsdale, Penny Thompson | Nominated | [65] |
Best Period and/or Character Makeup - Television and New Media Series | Sharon Toohey, Rose Gurevitch | Nominated | |||
Rosie Awards | Best Dramatic Series | Chad Oakes & Michael Frislev | Won | [66] | |
Best Performance by an Alberta Actor | Kevin Davey | Nominated | |||
Best Editor (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Bridget Durnford | Won | |||
Best Overall Sound (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Michael Playfair & Frank Laratta | Won | |||
Best Production Designer/Art Director | John Blackie & Bill Ives | Nominated | |||
Best Costume Designer | Carol Case | Won | |||
Best Make-Up Artist | Sharon Toohey | Won | |||
Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program | Steve Meyer, Matt Von Brock, Mitch Gates, Antonio Chang | Nominated | [67] | |
Western Heritage Award | Outstanding Fictional Drama | Episode: "One Less Mule" | Won | ||
2015 | Episode: "Return to Hell" | Won | [68] | ||
Leo Awards | Best Casting in a Dramatic Series | Jackie Lind | Nominated | [69] | |
Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Jonathan Scarfe | Won | |||
Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Sara Canning | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Christopher Heyerdahl | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Chelah Horsdal | Nominated | |||
Rosie Awards | Best Dramatic Series | Chad Oakes & Michael Frislev | Won | [70] | |
Best Performance by an Alberta Actor | Jason Cermak | Nominated | |||
Best Editor (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Bridget Durnford | Won | |||
Best Overall Sound (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Michael Playfair & Frank Laratta | Nominated | |||
Best Production Designer/Art Director | John Blackie & Bill Ives | Nominated | |||
Best Costume Designer | Carol Case | Nominated | |||
Best Make-Up & Hair Artist(s) | Sharon Toohey & Chris Glimsdale | Won | |||
2016 | Western Heritage Award | Outstanding Fictional Drama | Episode: "Hungry Ghosts" | Won | |
Leo Awards | Best Casting in a Dramatic Series | Jackie Lind | Nominated | [71] | |
Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Byron Mann | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Chelah Horsdal | Nominated | |||
Golden Maple Awards | Best actor in a TV series broadcast in the U.S | Christopher Heyerdahl | Nominated | [72] | |
Best actor in a TV series broadcast in the U.S | Byron Mann | Nominated | |||
Newcomer of the year in a TV series broadcast in the U.S. | Christopher Heyerdahl | Nominated | |||
Rosie Awards | Best Dramatic Series | Chad Oakes & Michael Frislev | Won | [73] | |
Best Editor (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Bridget Durnford | Won | |||
Best Overall Sound (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Mike Markiw | Nominated | |||
Best Production Designer/Art Director | John Blackie & Bill Ives | Nominated | |||
Best Costume Designer | Carol Case | Won | |||
Best Make-Up & Hair Artist(s) | Sharon Toohey & Laura de Moissac | Nominated | |||
2017 | Rosie Awards | Best Dramatic Series | Chad Oakes & Michael Frislev | Nominated | [74] |
Best Editor (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Bridget Durnford | Nominated | |||
Best Overall Sound (Drama Over 30 Minutes) | Frank Laratta & Mike Markiw | Nominated | |||
Best Production Designer/Art Director | John Blackie & Bill Ives | Nominated | |||
Best Costume Designer | Carol Case | Won | |||
Best Make-Up & Hair Artist(s) | Sharon Toohey & Laura de Moissac | Nominated | |||
Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Christopher Heyerdahl | Nominated | [75] |
The series is shown in Australia on FX Australia [76] and in Ireland on RTÉ. [77]
All five seasons of Hell on Wheels have been released in DVD and Blu-ray formats. [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] The complete series was also released in DVD and Blu-ray formats on November 1, 2016, comprising 17 discs. [84] As of June 2019, it is available in the United States on Netflix's online streaming service but is scheduled to be removed at the end of 2020. As of December 2023, It is available in the United States for streaming on Tubi. [85]
"Hell on Wheels" or "Pilot" is the pilot and first episode of the first season of American television drama series of the same name, which premiered November 6, 2011, on AMC in the United States and on TCM in the UK. The episode was written by developers Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton, and directed by David Von Ancken. The pilot introduces the series' protagonist, Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier whose quest for vengeance has led him to the Union Pacific Railroad's westward construction of the first transcontinental railroad.
"A New Birth of Freedom" is the third episode of the first season of American television drama series Hell on Wheels; it premiered November 20, 2011 on AMC in the United States, and on TCM in the UK. The episode was written by John Shiban and directed by Phil Abraham.
"Immoral Mathematics" is the second episode of the first season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels; it aired November 13, 2011 on AMC, and was co-written by series co-creators Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton, and directed by David Von Ancken. Producers of this episode include: Tony Gayton, Joe Gayton, Jeremy Gold, John Shiban, and David Von Ancken.
"Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels; it aired November 27, 2011 on AMC, and was written by Jami O'Brien, directed by Alex Zakrzewski, and produced by Tony Gayton, Joe Gayton, Jeremy Gold, and John Shiban.
"Bread and Circuses" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels; it aired December 4, 2011 on AMC, and was written by Mark Richard and directed by Adam Davidson. Its title is a reference to the phrase "bread and circuses" taken from Juvenal's poem, "Satire X". In the episode, Joseph Black Moon and Reverend Nathaniel Cole travel into Cheyenne territory in hopes of a peace talk, Joseph's brother endures a native ritual, Lily Bell and Thomas Durant continue to discuss the future of the railroad construction, and Cullen Bohannon and his crewman Elam Ferguson settle their differences in a public fight.
"Pride, Pomp and Circumstance" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels; it aired December 11, 2011 on AMC, and was written by Bruce Romans and directed by Michael Slovis. The episode title is a quote from Act III, Scene III of William Shakespeare's play Othello. In the episode, Senator Jordan Crane arrives in town for an arranged peace talk with the Cheyenne and to discuss the Union Pacific Railroad's future with Thomas Durant. Cullen Bohannon is put in charge of security while the natives are in town. He prevents Lily Bell from causing a scene, after she spots a female native wearing Lily's dead husband's hat.
"Revelations" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American television drama series Hell On Wheels; it December 18, 2011 on AMC and was written by the series co-creators Joe Gayton and Tony Gayton, and directed by Michelle MacLaren. In the episode, Thomas C. Durant and Lily Bell travel by train to Chicago, for different reasons; the Irishmen from Hell On Wheels intend to kill Elam (Common) to entertain themselves, but Cullen Bohannon interferes and helps Elam escape.
The first season of the AMC western-drama television series Hell on Wheels premiered on November 6, 2011 and concluded on January 15, 2012, comprising 10 episodes. The series was created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton, who wrote four episodes. They also served as the series' showrunners. The series' executive producers include the Gaytons, Jeremy Gold, John Shiban, and David Von Ancken.
"Timshel" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on January 8, 2012, on AMC. It is written and directed by John Shiban. In the episode, Cullen Bohannon and the search party find the Cheyenne who attacked the surveyor's camp and later derailed a train; Elam (Common) and Eva discuss their future, before getting a strange visitor; and the railroad crew reaches the important 40-mile mark. The episode title has several meanings – from the Mumford & Sons song of the same name, which was heard in the episode, to the actual Hebrew word translation of man's triumph over sin.
"God of Chaos" is the tenth episode and the season finale of the first season of the American television drama series Hell On Wheels, which aired on January 15, 2012 on AMC. It is written by Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton, and directed by David Von Ancken. In the episode, Thomas C. Durant and Lily Bell conspire to gain arriving investors' interests, after she pleads for Cullen Bohannon to not let his vengeful path ruin him; Sean and Mickey McGinnes exact their own revenge on The Swede ; and Elam (Common) and Eva each begin to see the future differently.
The second season of the AMC western-drama television series Hell on Wheels premiered on August 12, 2012, and concluded on October 7, 2012. The series was created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton who wrote and co-wrote two episodes. They also serve as the show's showrunners. In addition to the Gaytons, Jeremy Gold, John Shiban, and David Von Ancken also serve as series executive producers.
"Viva la Mexico" is the season premiere of the second season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on August 12, 2012 on AMC. The eleventh episode of the series is written by Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton, and directed by David Von Ancken. In the episode, on the run for his crimes, Cullen Bohannon robs trains with a group of ex-Confederate soldiers, while Lily Bell and Thomas Durant continue the Union Pacific Railroad's westward progress.
"Durant, Nebraska" is the second episode of the second season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on August 19, 2012 on AMC. The twelfth episode of the series is written by John Shiban, and directed by Adam Davidson. In the episode, Thomas Durant takes some men to a ransacked town of his namesake, where he learns the Sioux Nation has declared war on him. Cullen Bohannon is freed from the Union Army prison by an unlikely ally. Lily Bell promises Eva justice in the prostitute's murder, which Elam (Common) investigates.
"The Railroad Job" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on September 9, 2012 on AMC. The fifteenth episode of the series is written by Mark Richard and directed by Michael Nankin. In the episode, Cullen's former train-robbing gang sets their sights on Hell on Wheels and its safe. Elam (Common) struggles to maintain order and has to rely on Cullen's help, causing the town to shun him. The Swede continues to prepare Reverend Cole for his prophetic "war".
"Purged Away with Blood" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on September 16, 2012 on AMC. The sixteenth episode of the series is co-written by series co-creator Tony Gayton and Tom Brady and directed by series co-creator Joe Gayton. In the episode, The Swede reveals himself to be the "White Spirit" as he aids the Sioux in their war with the railroad. Reverend Cole also plays his role and hijacks the train taking Durant, Eva, and Doc Whitehead to Chicago.
The third season of the AMC television series Hell on Wheels aired from August 10 through October 5, 2013, and consists of 10 episodes. The season follows Cullen Bohannon as he abandons seeking revenge for the deaths of his family in order to continue to drive the westward expansion of Union Pacific Railroad, while battling Thomas "Doc" Durant for control.
"Big Bad Wolf" is the first episode of the third season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on August 10, 2013, on AMC. The twenty-first episode of the series is written by Mark Richard and directed by David Von Ancken. In the episode, Cullen Bohannon attempts to obtain engineer control of the Union Pacific Railroad, while an imprisoned Thomas C. Durant wishes to prevent that. Elam (Common) and Eva welcome their new baby.
"Eminent Domain" is the second episode of the third season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on August 10, 2013, on AMC. The twenty-second episode of the series is written by showrunner John Wirth and directed by Adam Davidson. In the episode, the railroad progress is interrupted by a family of Mormons in its path. When a family member kills Dick Barlow, the railroad's chief engineer, Cullen Bohannon seeks justice. Louise Ellison, a New-York Tribune reporter, arrives in town to witness it all.
The fourth season of the AMC television series Hell on Wheels premiered on August 2, 2014 and comprised 13 episodes. This season continued to focus on the westward expansion of the Union Pacific Railroad. Conflicts among the government, businesses, ranchers, homesteaders, and the railroad are also depicted, as all of those interests compete with one another for control of Cheyenne, Wyoming, the most important railroad hub in 1867.
The fifth and final season of the AMC television series Hell on Wheels premiered on July 18, 2015 and comprised 14 episodes. The season was evenly split; the first half aired in late 2015, and the second half aired in mid-2016. This season, set in California and Laramie, Wyoming, focused on the race to complete America's First transcontinental railroad, as Cullen Bohannon switched from working with the Union Pacific to the Central Pacific Railroad, upon the CP developer's promise to help find Cullen's family.
Hell on Wheels, a television series with the backdrop of the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s..., season 5, set in California and Laramie, Wyoming, premiered last Saturday.