Don't hold your breath

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — "Deadwood" fans e-mailed a lot of us TV critics with one rather simple request — when the folks from HBO made their presentation at the Television Critics Association press tour, ask them what the heck is going on.

When HBO announced there wouldn't be a fourth season of "Deadwood," it also announced that there would be a pair of two-hour movies that would wrap things up. Where are those movies?

Well, we asked. And we didn't get a definitive answer.

But I wouldn't bet my life savings — heck, I wouldn't bet more than a couple of bucks — on there ever being any more "Deadwood."

According to HBO executives, they haven't even talked to "Deadwood" creator/executive producer/writer David Milch about producing those movies.

"We haven't had a conversation with him about scheduling the production of those movies since he's been immersed in 'John From Cincinnati,"' said Michael Lombardo, HBO's president of programming.

While he insisted "It's always been our intention" to produce the movies, Lombardo pointed out that none of the "Deadwood" actors are still under contract. And he admitted, albeit somewhat reluctantly, that it's possible there may never be any "Deadwood" movies.

"Well, of course, that's possible, because we're going to have to schedule them in a way where we're going to have to bring back an entire army of actors, many of whom have moved on to other shows.... But it's doable," Lombardo said. "It will just be daunting."

And, if HBO picks up a second season of "John From Cincinnati," it's unlikely Milch will have time to focus on "Deadwood" any time in the foreseeable future. "But we will revisit this with David at the end of the summer, after he's had a little bit of a rest and after we know what the future of 'John' is for him," Lombardo said. "It's certainly on our books as something we're still interested in.

"If David's game for this, and we can figure this out, we're going to figure it out."

But that's not the whole truth. If "John" does get renewed, Milch will have to get to work writing season two almost immediately. Which would mean he won't have time to work on "Deadwood."

"We'd love to find a way to do it," said HBO co-president Richard Plepler. "I think the question is going to be whether or not all the actors can be pulled together (and) whether or not David is fully committed and motivated to getting the script written.

"He's obviously exhausted in concluding this project with 'John.' And I think he wants a little time to think about it. So we're going to have to wait."