HBO Cancels ‘Luck’
By Staff Report March 15, 2012HBO has canceled the horse racing series “Luck” after only one season on the air. The decision was made after a third horse died in the filming of the show, from Hollywood heavyweights David Milch and Michael Mann.
R.T. Fitch, author of the blog “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”, on Tuesday broke the news that the show would not be returning for its second season, which was already in production.
Fitch shared that “a horse was injured when she ‘reared, flipped over backwards, and struck her head on the ground.’ The on-set veterinarian determined that humane euthanasia was appropriate. Two horses were injured and euthanized during the first season, so apparently HBO was operating on the ‘Three Dead Horses and You’re Out’ rule.”
The website ThinkProgress characterized the show as a “critically praised but little-watched” and said its “track record became a liability that offset the benefits HBO garnered from renewing the show.”
HBO issued a release stating:
“It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann together with HBO have decided to cease all future production on the series LUCK. Safety is always of paramount concern.
We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures. While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision.
We are immensely proud of this series, the writing, the acting, the filmmaking, the celebration of the culture of horses, and everyone involved in its creation.”
Related:
ThinkProgress: On HBO’s Cancellation of ‘Luck’
The New York Times: After ‘Luck,’ a Post-Mortem Debate
Slate Magazine: Why Do We Care About the Horses from ‘Luck’?
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