# Hatfields & McCoys (miniseries)

Hatfields & McCoys is a 2012 American three-part Western television miniseries based on the Hatfield–McCoy feud produced by History Channel. The two-hour episodes aired on May 28, 29, and 30, 2012.

## Premise

The miniseries recounts the famous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys (as well as the allies to both families), starting during the Civil War in 1863 and extending into the early years of The Reconstruction.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* Kevin Costner as William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield
* Bill Paxton as Randolph "Randall" McCoy
* Matt Barr as Johnson "Johnse" Hatfield
* Tom Berenger as Jim Vance
* Powers Boothe as Judge Valentine "Wall" Hatfield
* Andrew Howard as "Bad" Frank Phillips
* Jena Malone as Nancy McCoy
* Sarah Parish as Levicy Hatfield
* Lindsay Pulsipher as Roseanna McCoy
* Ronan Vibert as Perry Cline
* Noel Fisher as Ellison "Cotton Top" Mounts
* Joe Absolom as Selkirk McCoy
* Boyd Holbrook as William "Cap" Hatfield
* Tom McKay as Jim McCoy
* Sam Reid as Tolbert McCoy
* Jilon VanOver as Ransom Bray
* Mare Winningham as Sally McCoy

### Recurring

* Damian O'Hare as Ellison Hatfield
* Greg Patmore as Elias "Good 'Lias" Hatfield
* Andy Gathergood as Skunkhair Tom Wallace
* Noah Taylor as Lark Varney
* John Bell as Billy "Audie" Bempsey
* Max Deacon as Calvin McCoy
* Jack Laskey as Sam McCoy
* Jonathan Fredrick as Jefferson McCoy
* Michael Jibson as Phamer McCoy
* Chad Hugghins as Harmon McCoy
* Tyler F. Jackson as Bud McCoy
* Katie Griffiths as Alifair McCoy
* Rebecca Calder as Martha McCoy
* Nick Dunning as Reverend Garrett
* Alixandra Fuchs as Kate Schoonover
* Michael Woods as Cat Miller
* Robert Moran as John B. Floyd
* Joy McBrinn as Betty Blankenship
* Jon Bloch as TC Crawford

## Production

The miniseries was History's first aired scripted drama (the network had previously produced a scripted miniseries in 2011, The Kennedys, but decided against airing it in the United States).
Although the story is set in the Appalachians in West Virginia and Kentucky, the miniseries was shot in Romania, just outside Brașov with the Carpathians standing in for the Appalachians.

### Music

The score for the series was composed by John Debney and Tony Morales, with additional music by Kevin Costner and Modern West. The soundtrack features vocals performed by Lisbeth Scott on The Long Road Down.

## Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 71% based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 7.34/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Hatfields and McCoys is a violent and gritty spectacle that perhaps takes itself too seriously." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Linda Stasi of the New York Post commented:
   When I first heard about it, my thought was: Why? But that was before I sat through all six hours of this intense saga. Most miniseries this long tend to lose steam somewhere between the beginning of Night 1 and the middle of Night 2. Not this one...The miniseries is full of stand-out performances from great actors... But it's the guys you may not know who will blow you away.
Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker gave the series a B+, stating: "In stretching the tale over three nights, the pacing sags at times, and recriminations can get repetitive. It also doesn't help that Reynolds shot the miniseries in that perpetual sepia tone that gives everything a faux-antique look. But overall, Hatfields & McCoys is engrossing, and enlightening about a feud that proves to be a lot more than the bumpkin brawl of pop legend." Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times wrote:
   Although deftly nailed into its time and place with sets and costumes so vivid you can smell the blue wood smoke and the stink of moonshine sweat, Hatfields & McCoys transcends the confines of its age by revealing the feud's posturing, resentments and callous violence that mirror the dynamics of modern urban gangs... It isn't a perfect piece—when faced with a choice between historic detail and story, Hatfields & McCoys errs on the side of detail, which is both the series' greatest strength and weakness.
Among the negative critics was Verne Gay of Newsday who called the series "violent and dull", adding:
   What's not to like about Hatfields & McCoys? Simple: the story. It's an uninteresting one, peopled with almost criminally bland characters. In fact, as portrayed here—quite possibly accurately—they're a bunch of bibulous knuckleheads who shoot at each other year after year—or on TV, hour after hour—and have no real idea why. It's an interminable eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth narrative.
Washington Post's Hank Stuever also gave a negative review:
   The point of the entire saga, it seems, is to make you lose track of what the feudin' was about, and how it managed to burn out of control. It will always be tempting to view their story through any modern analogy of one's choosing—such as partisan political stalemates or the red-blue socioeconomic divide. But maybe the story of the Hatfields and McCoys doesn't amount to anything at all. Maybe, since it also doesn't make much of miniseries, it was meant to be a footnote and nothing more.

### Ratings

Part one drew the largest ever ratings for a History program and one of the biggest in cable TV history. 13.9 million viewers tuned into the first of three parts, making it the most-watched single broadcast on ad-supported cable ever, excluding sports. Demographic numbers were high as well, with 4.8 million viewers in the adults 18–49 demographic and 5.8 million viewers among adults 24–54. Part two was watched by 13.13 million viewers with an adult 18–49 rating of 3.7, the highest rated programming on cable of the night. Part three was watched by 14.29 million viewers with an adult 18-49 rating of 4.0, making it the number-one program of the night.

### Accolades

Hatfields & McCoys received 16 nominations at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, the most since the History Channel began operations.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2012 | Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Movie/Mini Series | Fern Champion and Amy Hubbard | Nominated |
| 2012 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| 2012 | Golden Eagle Awards | Entertainment – Drama | Leslie Greif, Nancy Dubuc, Dirk Hoogstra, Barry Berg, Kevin Costner, Darrell Fetty, Herb Nanas, and Vlad Paunescu | Won |
| 2012 | Hollywood Post Alliance Awards | Outstanding Color Grading – Television | Lorraine Grant (for "Part 2") | Nominated |
| 2012 | Hollywood Post Alliance Awards | Outstanding Sound – Television | Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern (for "Part 3") | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Bill Paxton | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Kevin Reynolds | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Ted Mann, Ronald Parker, and Bill Kerby | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Cinematography in a Non-Series | Best Cinematography in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Costume Design in a Non-Series | Best Costume Design in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Editing in a Non-Series | Best Editing in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series | Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Music in a Non-Series | Best Music in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Production Design in a Non-Series | Best Production Design in a Non-Series | Won |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Sound in a Non-Series | Best Sound in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Miniseries or Movie | Leslie Greif, Nancy Dubuc, Dirk Hoogstra, Barry Berg, Kevin Costner, Darrell Fetty, Herb Nanas, and Vlad Paunescu | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Kevin Costner | Won |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Bill Paxton | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Tom Berenger | Won |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Mare Winningham | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Kevin Reynolds | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Ted Mann, Ronald Parker, and Bill Kerby (for "Part 2") | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie | Derek R. Hill, Serban Porupca, John B. Vertrees, and Sally Black | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Fern Champion and Amy Hubbard | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Karri Hutchinson and Adina Bucur (for "Part 1") | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie | Giorgio Gregorini, Peter Nicastro, and Gabriele Gregorini | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic) | Mario Michisanti and Francesca Tampieri | Won |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) | John Debney and Tony Morales (for "Part 1") | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie | Don Cassidy (for "Part 2") | Won |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Tom Bjelic, John Laing, John Douglas Smith, Mark Dejczak, Michael Mancuso, Dermain Finlayson, Kevin Banks, Darrell Hall, Alex Bullick, Nathan Robitaille, Dan Kiener, Emilie Boucek, and Steve Baine (for "Part 1") | Nominated |
| 2012 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie | Dragos Stanomir, Christian T. Cooke, and Brad Zoern (for "Part 1") | Won |
| 2012 | Satellite Awards | Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Won |
| 2012 | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| 2012 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Mare Winningham | Nominated |
| 2012 | Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries, and Specials | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries, and Specials | Nominated |
| 2013 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television | Don Cassidy (for "Part 1") | Nominated |
| 2013 | American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture/Miniseries | Arthur Reinhart | Nominated |
| 2013 | Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-Series | Derek R. Hill, Serban Porupca, John B. Vertrees, Vlad Roseanu, Grigore Puscariu, Elena Ioana, Ellen King, Sally Black, Aniela Ban, and Radu Ciocanau | Nominated |
| 2013 | ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards | Top Television Series | John Debney | Won |
| 2013 | BMI Film & TV Awards | Cable Mini-Series Award | Tony Morales | Won |
| 2013 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series | Dragos Stanomir, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Jeff Vaughn, Eric Apps, and Peter Persaud | Won |
| 2013 | Costume Designers Guild Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries | Karri Hutchinson | Nominated |
| 2013 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries | Kevin Reynolds | Nominated |
| 2013 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
| 2013 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film | Kevin Costner | Won |
| 2013 | Golden Nymph Awards | Outstanding Actor – Mini-Series | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| 2013 | Golden Nymph Awards | Outstanding Actor – Mini-Series | Bill Paxton | Nominated |
| 2013 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Long Form Music in Television | Kevin Banks and Darrell Hall (for "Part 2") | Nominated |
| 2013 | Producers Guild of America Awards | David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television | Barry M. Berg, Kevin Costner, Darrell Fetty, Leslie Greif, and Herb Nanas | Nominated |
| 2013 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Kevin Costner | Won |
| 2013 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Bill Paxton | Nominated |
| 2013 | Western Heritage Awards | Western Documentary | Western Documentary | Won |
| 2013 | Western Writers of America Awards | Best Western Drama Script (Fiction) | Ted Mann, Ronald Parker, and Bill Kerby | Nominated |
| 2013 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Long Form – Original | Ted Mann, Ronald Parker, and Bill Kerby | Won |

## Home video release

The series was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats on July 31, 2012. The bonus material includes a music video of "I Know These Hills" from Kevin Costner and Modern West from their album Famous for Killing Each Other: Music From and Inspired By Hatfields & McCoys.

## Effect on tourism

According to WYMT-TV in Hazard, Kentucky, the series has generated an increase in tourism to the area from people wanting to know about the feud. Pike County Tourism Vice Chair Reed Potter said,
   It's been beyond our expectations. We've been getting requests for brochures that tell about the feud sites and places people can visit at a rate today last I checked of about two per minute.