In lieu of this review I could point the reader to a couple of my other comments regarding Wild Bill Hickok from the 1998 documentary series 'Gunfighters of the West' or the more recent one from Bill O'Reilly's production company titled 'Legends and Lies'. The information presented in both programs are also offered here with the slightest of variations, not unusual when dealing with larger than life historical figures of the past, especially those of the American Wild West.
So instead of going through the entire episode I think I'll just mention some of those differences. Regarding the McAnles incident from 1861, the show did something unusual. It illustrated an imaginary rendering of Hickok going up against ten men and coming out unscathed, the way author George Nichols wrote it up for Harper's Magazine at the time. Then the story closer to the truth was shown, with Hickok killing McAnles and a couple of his cohorts scattering when the shooting started. Nevertheless, the legend of Wild Bill Hickok grew from here, as his exploits were written up for the tabloids and dime novels of the day.
When Hickok faced former Confederate soldier Davis Tutt over a gambling debt in Springfield, Missouri on July 21st, 1865, the origin of the walk and draw showdown was born. With a near miraculous and clean shot to Tutt's heart, Hickok's reputation was catapulted to larger than life. On the flip side, Hickok's exploits by this time made him a marked man, another tradition picked up by Hollywood and exploited in films like 1950's "The Gunfighter" starring Gregory Peck.
There seemed to be some minor inconsistencies in this documentary. One notable one had to do with Hickok hanging up his guns after he accidentally shot his deputy and good friend in Abilene, Kansas in the Spring of 1871. The episode stated that he never fired a weapon again, but then showed him shooting a live round as part of Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show in which he portrayed himself as a character.
There were also a couple of elements that provided new information for this viewer. This is the only show, fictional or otherwise that I've seen that mentions the fifth card in the infamous 'Dead Man's Hand' (Aces and Eights) remained a mystery following Hickok's death. The episode also states that Hickok met Calamity Jane Canary only two weeks prior to arriving in Deadwood in the Dakota Territory in 1876. Some accounts claim that Jane and Hickok were married as much as three years earlier, but those remain challenged by historians.
One interesting observation made by the program puts some of the history of the Old West into perspective. 1876 was a watershed year for the West, in as much as three significant events occurred - Custer's death at Little Big Horn in June, Hickok's murder in August, and the infamous Northfield, Minnesota Raid that ended the career of the James-Younger Gang in September of that year. Taking nothing away from the other two, the impact of James Butler Hickok's legendary status as a gunslinger, lawman and killer on the history of the West remains immeasurable.
So instead of going through the entire episode I think I'll just mention some of those differences. Regarding the McAnles incident from 1861, the show did something unusual. It illustrated an imaginary rendering of Hickok going up against ten men and coming out unscathed, the way author George Nichols wrote it up for Harper's Magazine at the time. Then the story closer to the truth was shown, with Hickok killing McAnles and a couple of his cohorts scattering when the shooting started. Nevertheless, the legend of Wild Bill Hickok grew from here, as his exploits were written up for the tabloids and dime novels of the day.
When Hickok faced former Confederate soldier Davis Tutt over a gambling debt in Springfield, Missouri on July 21st, 1865, the origin of the walk and draw showdown was born. With a near miraculous and clean shot to Tutt's heart, Hickok's reputation was catapulted to larger than life. On the flip side, Hickok's exploits by this time made him a marked man, another tradition picked up by Hollywood and exploited in films like 1950's "The Gunfighter" starring Gregory Peck.
There seemed to be some minor inconsistencies in this documentary. One notable one had to do with Hickok hanging up his guns after he accidentally shot his deputy and good friend in Abilene, Kansas in the Spring of 1871. The episode stated that he never fired a weapon again, but then showed him shooting a live round as part of Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show in which he portrayed himself as a character.
There were also a couple of elements that provided new information for this viewer. This is the only show, fictional or otherwise that I've seen that mentions the fifth card in the infamous 'Dead Man's Hand' (Aces and Eights) remained a mystery following Hickok's death. The episode also states that Hickok met Calamity Jane Canary only two weeks prior to arriving in Deadwood in the Dakota Territory in 1876. Some accounts claim that Jane and Hickok were married as much as three years earlier, but those remain challenged by historians.
One interesting observation made by the program puts some of the history of the Old West into perspective. 1876 was a watershed year for the West, in as much as three significant events occurred - Custer's death at Little Big Horn in June, Hickok's murder in August, and the infamous Northfield, Minnesota Raid that ended the career of the James-Younger Gang in September of that year. Taking nothing away from the other two, the impact of James Butler Hickok's legendary status as a gunslinger, lawman and killer on the history of the West remains immeasurable.
