HBO's "Luck" suspends filming w/ horses after 3rd horse dies

[Ty88]

And we've finally made the national "conversation" about the demise of Luck. Well at least Ty88 and moi did.

http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/news?slug=ycn-11103140

Huh. Yahoo is watching guys.....

[Pronzini]

Either overreaction at its finest (especially with the last death which was essentially a horse being a horse and not even connected with racing) or a handy excuse. Maybe a little of both.

We are not our grandparents who lived through a Depression, fought a World War and I think knew a little bit more about life, death and uncertainty not to mention a lot more generally about horses. Maybe that is the problem racing is always going to run into today whether it is fictional or real.

[Ballerina]

Luck cancelled because of another horse death? Perhaps! I think it's because the show wasn't catching on with the viewing public.

[djnorth]

Either overreaction at its finest (especially with the last death which was essentially a horse being a horse and not even connected with racing) or a handy excuse. Maybe a little of both.

We are not our grandparents who lived through a Depression, fought a World War and I think knew a little bit more about life, death and uncertainty not to mention a lot more generally about horses. Maybe that is the problem racing is always going to run into today whether it is fictional or real.

Luck wasn't my favorite show (that's Breaking Bad-the AMC series, not what tends to happen when I bet a horse!) but I kept watching it. I started to follow it but found myself more interested in the horse-and -jockey threads (Nolte's trainer, Stevens' character etc) than the whole Dustin Hoffman wheeling and dealing thing.

However, I think Pronzini's on to something. By no means do I think that HBO or the producers should look the other way but sometimes stuff happens. it sounds like the first two fatalities were breakdowns during filming of racing sequences (I could be wrong) but the last one could have happened to most horses at some time. I think you see that regarding most animals, ignoring the uncertainty and complexity that they sometimes bring. I blame Disney but I have no real idea why.

[serenassong]

Luck cancelled because of another horse death? Perhaps! I think it's because the show wasn't catching on with the viewing public.

IMO, a little from column A and some from column B. I will miss the Nolte story line, and Gary Steves should do more acting work, he's a natural.

[Little Watermelon]

I have mixed emotions: the series was starting to grow on me; on the other hand I read on another forum that an assistant trainer hired to be responsible for the horses resigned because she disagreed with the way the horses were treated. If that is so, and there is only an anonymous person on a horse racing forum who wrote this, then probably the show should be pulled.

Whoever is Joan Allen's plastic surgeon should resign, too.

[serenassong]

Whoever is Joan Allen's plastic surgeon should resign, too.

Good lord, yes, could not believe that was her when I first saw her.

[Blue Jeans]

Last night, announcement of the cancellation of Luck made the 'ticker news' at FoxNews, and, this morning, the story was featured on the Today show ... and later on FoxNews with Bill Hemmer. Seems it was a real surprise to lots of folks.

[Man o' Taz]

I have mixed emotions: the series was starting to grow on me; on the other hand I read on another forum that an assistant trainer hired to be responsible for the horses resigned because she disagreed with the way the horses were treated. If that is so, and there is only an anonymous person on a horse racing forum who wrote this, then probably the show should be pulled.

Whoever is Joan Allen's plastic surgeon should resign, too.

Right. It was just starting to pique my interest and even the seen with Hoffman at night with the horse was a nice touch...

I referenced Allen on the other thread...

[Epiphany]

Last night, announcement of the cancellation of Luck made the 'ticker news' at FoxNews, and, this morning, the story was featured on the Today show ... and later on FoxNews with Bill Hemmer. Seems it was a real surprise to lots of folks.

Luck is going to get more press for being killed than for being born.
They issued a statement on cancellation yesterday to industry pubs before they even told the crew. Of course, these days, with TMZ and its spawn, I can understand.

[djnorth]

Right. It was just starting to pique my interest and even the seen with Hoffman at night with the horse was a nice touch...

I referenced Allen on the other thread...

Though I admit Hoffman's character wasn't my favorite, that scene got to me too. I thought only dorks like me would do something like that!

[Little Watermelon]

Right. It was just starting to pique my interest and even the seen with Hoffman at night with the horse was a nice touch...

I referenced Allen on the other thread...

The one scene I really liked was when the gamblers met the trainer, and horse they had claimed and were giving him carrots. These guys who bet on horses all their life and had never come close to a real horse, and were a little intimidated. That was a great scene.

[second_glance]

Right. It was just starting to pique my interest and even the seen with Hoffman at night with the horse was a nice touch...

I referenced Allen on the other thread...

There's a link to this scene in Andrew Cohen's column for The Atlantic today. Cohen is a racing fan and owns, or at least has owned, harness racers. And he really wanted this series to work.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertain...s-luck/254539/

[djnorth]

The one scene I really liked was when the gamblers met the trainer, and horse they had claimed and were giving him carrots. These guys who bet on horses all their life and had never come close to a real horse, and were a little intimidated. That was a great scene.

This. There were some cool scenes in the series, mostly when they demonstrated how magical and captivating those creatures can be. (Now if ol' John Henry would have been around to do a cameo, the deomnstration may have been a little tougher. I think it's difficult to convey to someone, who's not standing there watching a someone work with an animal. that you can love something that's trying to kill you!)

[stark]

The one scene I really liked was when the gamblers met the trainer, and horse they had claimed and were giving him carrots. These guys who bet on horses all their life and had never come close to a real horse, and were a little intimidated. That was a great scene.

Kinda similar to regular posters at PaceAdvantage being introduced to the TC forum, can be a tough fit entering another's world no matter how closely related.

[The Tin Man]

Right. It was just starting to pique my interest and even the seen with Hoffman at night with the horse was a nice touch...

Great scene!

The show was getting much, much better ... As they made the character start falling in love with the horse ... the series got notably better 'cause I could really start to identify with it them. Seeing degenerate gamblers and criminals have their hearts taken by these glorious creatures was wonderful. I was really looking forward to the continued development of that.

So in other words, I'm not ashamed to say that I started out not liking the series and ended up really liking it.

So yes ... I'm disappointed with the canceling here.

Not to mention, this bodes very poorly for any future cinematic productions involving this sport we love so much.

[djnorth]

TTM-

I thought of that as well. Was Luck cutting corners (the reference to someone getting fired when objecting to the horses' treatment) or not? If things were done correctly, this could definitely have a "chilling effect" on any future horse-racing projects.

Now maybe if all of the projects appealed to me like "Secretariat" and "Ruffian" I'd be fine with that, but like "Seabiscuit", not so much.

[GotaDunQH]

Luck is going to get more press for being killed than for being born.
They issued a statement on cancellation yesterday to industry pubs before they even told the crew. Of course, these days, with TMZ and its spawn, I can understand.

Yea. it's too bad the series is being shut down. While I never saw an episode, this is the kind of media attention that the general public goes nuts over. What? 3 horses died? That's terrible and they should shut that show down! Accidents with horses happen on a daily basis. FCS, someone I show with...her horse flipped over in a wash stall, cracked his head and died. I could go on about more horse deaths that have happened to friends and barns I've boarded at, that the general has no clue about. It's an accident and it happens; it happens on horse farms everywhere. I bet the general public does not know about the horses breaking down and dying left and right at Aqueduct. Of course not because it's not on TV and the media has not played it up to the general public and the general public does not follow the sport (except when it's TC time). It is unfortunate that 3 horses lost their lives, and I find it sad anytime a horse loses it's life to an accident. But with horses, it goes with the territory.

[Indychase]

Ugh

http://blog.sfgate.com/eguillermo/20...ped-hbos-luck/

[GotaDunQH]

Ugh

http://blog.sfgate.com/eguillermo/20...ped-hbos-luck/

Ugh is right. I didn't even read the whole thing once I got to "the wife is PETA". The majority of these PETA people need to get out in the real world, and spend time on horse farms, in the average horse owners backyard etc and see what happens on a daily basis. I just love it when the PETA nuts, (who have NO EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER in horse ownership or ANY horse experience for that matter), go all militant and get up in arms when accidents happen. Geez...I wonder if they would crucify a friend of mine, who turned her horse out in a HUGE hay pasture....then went back to get him found him stuck up to his belly in a small section of mud in the woods that lined the pasture, they could not get him out of it. He had to be put down because he was that spent. Sad stuff happens....every day.