Hell on Wheels (TV series)

Hell on Wheels
The silhouette of a man, standing on railroad tracks, he wears a hat and holds a gun in his hand.
Genre
Created by
Showrunners
Starring
Theme music composerGustavo Santaolalla
ComposerKevin Kiner
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes57 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Jeremy Gold
  • Joe Gayton
  • Tony Gayton
  • David Von Ancken
  • John Wirth
  • Michael Rosenberg
  • Paul Kurta
  • Chad Oakes
  • Michael Frislev
Producers
  • Peter Chomsky
  • Thomas Brady
  • Anson Mount
Production locationsCalgary, Alberta, Canada[1]
Cinematography
Running time40-50 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAMC
ReleaseNovember 6, 2011 (2011-11-06) –
July 23, 2016 (2016-07-23)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

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.

  1. ^ Volmers, Eric (August 10, 2012). "Producers build a better Hell for Hell on Wheels near Okotoks". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Seidman, Robert (July 28, 2011). "AMC Announces Premiere Date for 'Hell on Wheels'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference GaytonExit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).