The cut-throat world of horse racing was the subject of HBO's Luck. Not only did the crime drama star Dustin Hoffman, burning up the small screen for the first time in a series, the supporting cast weren't donkeys either - Nick Nolte, Michael Gambon and Dennis Farina also signed up for creator David (Deadwood) Milch's saga of hitmen and hooves. With Scorsese's Casino in mind perhaps, Milch cast Hoffman as Ace Bernstein, who sought vengeance on the backstabbers who sent him to prison, using the gambling action of the races as a front. The pilot had the distinction of being helmed by Michael Mann. Now you could argue Luck wasn't a flop, as it began production on a prematurely-greenlit second season before getting shut down over animal rights issues. Yet one look at the ratings shows that a fresh run probably wouldn't have built on what were already shaky foundations - they didn't just dip during the first run, they halved. A major talent like Hoffman had better things to do anyway - the BBC's high profile adaptation of Roald Dahl's Esio Trot (opposite Dame Judi Dench) for instance, and his movie directorial debut Quartet.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
