In this Feb. 9, 2005 file photo, David Milch, left, creator of the HBO series "Deadwood," appears on the set with Larry Cedar, center, and Peter Jason in Santa Clarita, Calif. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.(AP) --
"Deadwood" fans can exhale.
HBO says it's greenlighted a long-discussed movie based on the Western drama that ended a dozen years ago.
HBO programming chief Casey Bloys said Wednesday that production is scheduled to begin in October. An air date has yet to be set but it could debut in spring 2019, he said.
Bloys told a TV critics' meeting it was a logistical "nightmare" getting the ensemble cast's schedules to align, but it finally worked out.
The critically acclaimed, award-winning "Deadwood" was set in the rough-and-tumble South Dakota mining town of the title.
The series aired from 2004-06 with stars including Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane and Molly Parker.
It was created by David Milch, known for his work on the contemporary police dramas "NYPD Blue" and "Hill Street Blues."
Television producer Mark Burnett, left, looks on as President Donald Trump arrives for the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 2, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with "The Apprentice," is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration.
"With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role," Trump announced Saturday.
Burnett, who was born in London, helped produce hits like "Survivor" and "The Voice," but is perhaps best known for teaming up with Trump for "The Apprentice," which first aired on NBC in 2004.
Trump had been well-known in real estate and pop culture circles for decades. But the show helped again make him a household name — though Trump severed ties with NBC in 2015, the same year he launched his first White House run.
The selection of Burnett continues Trump's trend of filling out his incoming administration with people who have high-profile backgrounds in television or politics, or both — including his choice to be defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend," and ex-television doctor and unsuccessful Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz.
Trump's first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on "The Apprentice" and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a "star."
Almost a decade after he left his reality TV role, Trump's television career remains central to his biography and political rise. The show presented Trump Tower to tens of millions of people as a symbol of power and success before Trump launched his first... Read More