The American West Explained

Alt Name:	The West
Genre:	Docuseries
Director:	John Ealer
Narrated:	Bert Thomas Morris
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Num Seasons:	1
Num Episodes:	8
Cinematography:	Kevin M. Graves
Network:	AMC

The American West (formerly titled The West)^[1] is a limited-event American television docu-series detailing the history of the Western United States in the period from 1865 to 1890. The series was executively produced by Robert Redford, Stephen David and Laura Michalchyshyn with Sundance Productions and aired for eight episodes on AMC from June 11 to July 30, 2016.^{[2] [3]}

As of June 2021, the series was streaming on Amazon Prime Video in some countries.^[4]

Overview

Following the American Civil War, the United States begins developing into the "land of opportunity," despite the danger from cowboys, Native Americans, outlaws and lawmen. The series chronicles the stories of Western legends, such as Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, George Armstrong Custer, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.

Production

Produced and distributed by Sundance Productions, the series features exclusive interviews with notable names from classic Western films, including Robert Redford, James Caan, Burt Reynolds, Tom Selleck, Kiefer Sutherland, Mark Harmon, and Ed Harris.

The series was to be initially aired on Discovery Channel,^[5] but was changed to AMC and retooled in 2014. Production on the series began in August 2015, following AMC's ordering it straight to series.

Filming for the series was predominantly done in West Virginia's Berkeley and Jefferson counties, as well as Prickett's Fort State Park in Marion County.^[6]

Cast

Main

• David H. Stevens as Jesse James
• Derek Chariton as Billy the Kid
• Will Strongheart as Crazy Horse
• John C. Bailey as General George Custer
• Moses Brings Plenty as Sitting Bull
• Jonathan C. Stewart as Wyatt Earp

Supporting

• Morgan Lund as Ulysses S. Grant
• Michael Marunde as William T. Sherman
• Eric Rolland as Thomas C. Durant
• Joseph Carlson as Frank James
• Ric Maddox as Pat Garrett
• Hugh Scully as Allen Pinkerton
• Nicholas Bialis as Morgan Earp
• Sean Brown as Cole Younger

Interview subjects

The series features several interviews from authors, celebrities, historians and political figures.

• Mark Lee Gardener – author, Shot All to Hell
• David Eisenbach – historian, Columbia University
• Kiefer Sutherland – actor, Young Guns
• Eric Foner – historian, Columbia University
• H.W. Brands – historian, University of Texas at Austin
• Danny Glover – actor, Silverado
• Walter R. Borneman – author, Iron Horses
• Paul Hutton, historian – University of New Mexico
• Andrew C. Isenberg – author, Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante Life
• Karl Jacoby – historian, Columbia University
• Anne Collier – curator, Edmund C. Jaeger Cultural & Natural History Museum
• Burt Reynolds – actor, Gunsmoke
• Robert Redford – actor, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• Bill Richardson – former governor of New Mexico
• Larry T. Pourier – Oglala Lakota Filmmaker
• John McCain – U.S. Senator, Arizona
• Kathleen Chamberlain – author, In the Shadow of Billy the Kid
• Ann Kirschner – author, Lady at the O.K. Corral
• Mark Harmon – actor, Wyatt Earp
• Tom Selleck – actor, Quigley Down Under
• John Morey – historian
• Ed Harris – actor, Appaloosa

Reception

Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times compared the series to others in the genre: "What's fresh in this retelling...is the degree to which it has gone in for re-creation as opposed to documentation, and the fact that it has drafted movie cowboys." He added "it's more dress-up than drama, more reenactment than documentary."^[7]

Rob Lowman of the Los Angeles Daily News called the series "more entertainment than insightful." He added "The American West doesn't dig into the ramifications of transformation of the West, preferring to keep skipping through history."^[8]

Broadcast

Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on History on October 11, 2016.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: AMC Orders 'The West' Docudrama From Robert Redford, Renews 'Making of the Mob'. Andreeva. Nellie. Patten. Dominic. July 31, 2015. Deadline Hollywood. April 28, 2016.
2. Web site: AMC Sets Premiere Date for the Final 7 Episodes of Hell on Wheels and New Event Series The American West. Bryant. Adam. April 27, 2016. amc.com. April 28, 2016.
3. Web site: AMC Sets Return Date for Final Season of 'Hell on Wheels,' New Series 'The American West'. Kissell. Rick. April 27, 2016. variety.com. April 28, 2016.
4. Web site: The American West . Amazon Prime . June 5, 2021 .
5. Discovery Channel Greenlights Production of Factual Series 'The West' . https://web.archive.org/web/20160604155206/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/12/17/discovery-channel-greenlights-production-of-factual-series-the-west/. dead. June 4, 2016. . December 17, 2013. TV by the Numbers. May 1, 2016.
6. Web site: 'The American West' mini-series, filmed in West Virginia, set to premiere on AMC June 11. Workman. Jim. May 23, 2016. statejournal.com. June 6, 2016. May 26, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160526183607/http://www.statejournal.com/story/32040982/the-american-west-mini-series-filmed-in-west-virginia-set-to-premiere-on-amc-june-11. dead.
7. Web site: Review: Robert Redford explores 'American West' on AMC. Lloyd. Robert. June 11, 2016. Los Angeles Times. June 11, 2016.
8. Web site: AMC's Hell on Wheels returns strong, American West not so much. Lowman. Rob. June 10, 2016. dailynews.com. June 11, 2016.
9. Web site: The Green Room. Charles. Purcell. New This Week (Oct 10): GABO, Divorce, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, World Cup and live sport. October 6, 2016. October 6, 2016. October 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161006054826/http://community.foxtel.com.au/t5/Foxtel-Blog/New-This-Week-Oct-10-GABO-Divorce-Supergirl-Legends-Of-Tomorrow/ba-p/155170. live.