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'''David S. Milch''' (], ], ]) is an American television writer and producer. {{Short description|American TV writer and producer (born 1945)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = David Milch
| image = David Milch (8226373241).jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = David Milch at the ] in 2005
| birth_name = David Sanford Milch
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|03|23}}
| birth_place = ]
| education = ] (])<br />
] (])
| occupation = Screenwriter, television producer
| spouse = {{marriage|Rita Stern|1982}}
| partner =
| children = 3
| years_active =
| homepage =
}}
'''David Sanford Milch''' (born March 23, 1945) is an American writer and producer of television series. He has created several television shows, including ]'s '']'' (1993–2005), co-created with ], and ]'s '']'' (2004–2006, ]).<ref name="Barra">{{cite web|author=Barra, Allen |url=http://www.americanheritage.com/content/man-who-made-%C2%91deadwood%C2%92 |title=The Man Who Made Deadwood|website= American History Lives at American Heritage |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref>


==Early life and education==
He was graduated ] and ] from ] and won the ] in English. He earned an ] from the Writer's Workshop at the ].
Milch graduated with a ] '']'' from ], where he won the Tinker Prize in English, was elected to ], and was a member of the ] chapter,<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.godeke.org/Deke_Alumni/Phi_David_Milch.htm |title=Prominent Deke Alumni: Phi's David Milch |publisher= | website = GoDeke.org |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://english.yale.edu/undergraduate-program/prizes-deadlines |title=Prizes and Deadlines |publisher= English Department, Yale University| website = Yale.edu |access-date=2014-06-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140728224326/http://english.yale.edu/undergraduate-program/prizes-deadlines |archive-date=July 28, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref> along with future US President ]. Milch earned a ] with distinction from the ] at the ].<ref>{{cite web |title= David Milch | publisher = University of Iowa Alumni Association |website = iowalum.com |url= http://www.iowalum.com/daa/milch.html |access-date=January 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110215000932/http://www.iowalum.com/daa/milch.html |archive-date=February 15, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref>


To avoid the draft during the ], Mich enrolled in ], but was expelled for shooting out a police car siren with a shotgun. Milch then worked as a writing teacher and lecturer in English literature at Yale. During his teaching career, he assisted ] and ] in the writing of several college textbooks on literature. Milch's poetry and fiction have been published in '']'' and the '']''. To avoid the draft during the ], Milch enrolled in ], but he was expelled for allegedly shooting out a police car siren with a shotgun.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://newcriterion.com/issues/2023/3/david-milch-the-strategies-of-indirection-in-fiction | title=David Milch & the strategies of indirection in fiction by William Logan | date=February 22, 2023 }}</ref>


==Career==
In 1982, Milch wrote a script for '']''. This began his career in television. He worked five seasons on ''Hill Street Blues'' as executive story editor and then as executive producer. Milch earned two more ]s, a second ], and another ] while working on that show.
Milch worked as a writing teacher and lecturer in English literature at Yale. During his teaching career, he assisted ] and ] in the writing of several college textbooks on literature. Milch's poetry and fiction have been published in '']'' and the '']''.<ref>{{cite web| title= David Milch |url= http://writing.upenn.edu/wh/people/fellows/milch.html| website = writing.UPenn.edu | publisher= University of Pennsylvania |access-date= January 25, 2012}}</ref>


In 1982, Milch wrote a script for '']'', which became the episode "Trial by Fury". This began his career in television. He worked five seasons on ''Hill Street Blues'' as executive story editor and then as executive producer. Milch earned two ]s, a ], and a ] while working on that show.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-25-ca-45280-story.html|title=Passing Along His 'Street' Luck|last=Champlin|first=Charles|date=February 25, 1988|work=]|access-date=September 25, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref>
Milch created '']'' with ] and served as Executive Producer of that series for seven seasons. After ''NYPD Blue'', Milch created a CBS series called ''Big Apple''.


Milch created '']'' with ] and served as executive producer of that series for seven seasons. He received three Primetime Emmy Awards during his time with the series.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/18/arts/television-radio-the-demons-that-have-driven-nypd-blue.html|title=Television/Radio; The Demons That Have Driven 'N.Y.P.D. Blue'|last=Weinraub|first=Bernard|access-date=September 25, 2018|work=]|date=June 18, 2000 }}</ref> In a 1994 seminar on "Human Values in Entertainment Writing: The Challenges and the Pitfalls," Milch described his affinity for the show's character ] by noting, "I'm racist."<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news |last1=Braxton |first1=Greg |title='NYPD' Figure Tries to Clarify Race Remarks' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-10-ca-61087-story.html |access-date=16 June 2024 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=10 November 1994}}</ref> He also recalled a writing workshop he led some years earlier, noting that "None of the black writing was any good," adding:
From 2002-2006, Milch produced '']'', a dramatic series for ]. Milch served as creator, writer, and executive producer. The series ended in 2006, following its third season, but there are plans for two feature length movies.
<blockquote>
Jews tend to do very well in this business . . . because Jews experience a typical emotional doubleness in relation to the dominant culture, which is that they are both inside and outside it . . . A black has to experience more anger and self-division in order to achieve the kind of emotional neutrality that you need to write about the culture.<ref name="LATimes" />
</blockquote>


Milch explained in a later statement that "The seminar I gave was an attempt to describe the process of writing and not a statement of political or social values."<ref name="LATimes" /> In response to Milch's comments, ] wrote a letter in which he challenged Milch's assumptions concerning black writers. As a result, Milch hired Mills as a writer for ''NYPD Blue''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Millman |first=Joyce |date=September 22, 1997 |title=Racist -- or realistic? |url=http://www.salon.com/sept97/media/media970922.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703061913/http://www.salon.com/sept97/media/media970922.html |archive-date=July 3, 2007}}</ref>
Milch began production in 2006 on '']'', another dramatic series for ].


Milch co-created the patrol police drama '']'' with Bochco, ], and ] in 1997 while still working on ''NYPD Blue''. After ''NYPD Blue'', Milch created a ] series called '']''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-mar-14-ca-37219-story.html|title=Detective Work at 'Big Apple's' Core| last= Littlejohn| first= Janice Rhoshalle|date=March 14, 2001|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=September 25, 2018| language= en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref>
==Thoroughbred horse racing==
Milch is an owner of ] ]. Notably, as a co-owner with Mark and Jack Silverman, he won the 1992 ] with the colt ]. Milch owned outright ] who captured the 2001 ].


From 2004 to 2006, Milch produced '']'', a dramatic series for ]. Milch served as creator, writer, and executive producer. The series received critical acclaim and garnered Milch two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for writing and producing. The series ended in 2006 after three seasons. There were plans for two feature-length movies to conclude the series, ultimately resulting in a single film released by HBO in 2019. Actor ] presented David Milch with the 2006 Outstanding Television Writer Award at the ].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://austinfilmfestival.com/festival-and-conference/2016/04/29/2006-winners/|title=2006 Winners - Austin Film Festival|date=April 29, 2016| work= Austin Film Festival|access-date= September 25, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Television credits (as creator)==

*'']'' (1990) - co-creator, writer, producer.
Milch began production in 2006 on '']'', another dramatic series for HBO. The series was canceled after its first season. Initial ratings had been lower than expected but increased steadily. Ratings for the final episode were more than 3 million.<ref>Nielsen Media News, August 14, 2007.</ref> In October 2007, HBO renewed its contract with Milch. A pilot was commissioned for ''Last of the Ninth'', "a drama set in the ] during the 1970s, when the ] was formed to ferret out corruption in the force." Collaborating with Milch on ''Last of the Ninth'' was former '']'' writer and friend ].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/10/the-saga-of-dea.html | work=Chicago Tribune | title=The saga of 'Deadwood' takes another turn | date=October 10, 2007 | access-date=December 10, 2007 | archive-date=February 8, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208040555/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/10/the-saga-of-dea.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> In December 2008, '']'' stated that ''Last of the Ninth'' would not be picked up by the network.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ic41d147829e712a6a10e023fa9980d2e | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081219035202/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ic41d147829e712a6a10e023fa9980d2e | archive-date=December 19, 2008 | title=HBO picks up 'Hung' | work=The Hollywood Reporter (via web archive) }}</ref>
*'']'' (1997) - co-creator, writer.

*'']'' (1993-2005) - co-creator, writer, producer.
In January 2010, Milch announced that he was developing a new drama for HBO entitled '']'', based around the culture of ]. ] directed the pilot<ref>{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2010/tv/news/mann-milch-in-luck-with-hbo-1118013352/ | work=Variety | first=Michael | last= Fleming | title=Mann, Milch in 'Luck' with HBO | date=January 5, 2010}}</ref> and ] was cast in the lead role.<ref>{{cite news| last= Andreeva |first=Nellie |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6210C720100302 |title=Dustin Hoffman to star in HBO pilot Luck |date=March 2, 2010 |work=Reuters |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref> HBO picked up the series on July 14, 2010.<ref>{{cite news| last= Hibberd |first=James |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66D5KX20100714 |title=Dustin Hoffman to star in horse racing series |date=July 14, 2010 |work=Reuters |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref> The series ceased production after three horse deaths on set, having aired one season. Other unrealized projects of Milch's during the early 2010s included a film adaptation of ]'s 2010 video game '']'',<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/david-milch-adapting-heavy-rain-game-1118030985/|title=David Milch adapting 'Heavy Rain' game| last=McNary| first= Dave|date=2011-01-27| website= Variety |language=en|access-date= 2019-04-25}}</ref> a reunion with ''NYPD Blue'' collaborator ] on an ] legal drama,<ref>{{cite web |url= https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/10/drama_titans_steven_bochco_and.html |title=Drama Titans Steven Bochco and David Milch Are Reuniting to Save NBC |work=] | date=October 14, 2011 }}</ref> and a series of films and television series for HBO based on the literary works of ].<ref>{{cite magazine| url= https://entertainment.time.com/2011/11/30/hbo-signs-david-milch-and-his-new-partner-william-faulkner/|title=HBO Signs David Milch and His New Partner, William Faulkner|date=November 30, 2011|magazine=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324328904578621821045072476|title=William Faulkner's Heirs Aim to Preserve His Legacy and Profit From It| work=Wall Street Journal |date=July 25, 2013 |access-date=July 26, 2013 |last1=Cohen |first1=Stefanie }}</ref>
*'']'' (2004-2006) - creator, writer, producer.

*'']'' (2006) - co-creator, writer, producer
In July 2013 HBO announced<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/25/deadwood-creator-near-deal-for-hbo-drama-pilot/ |title='Deadwood' creator near deal for HBO drama pilot |magazine=] | date=July 25, 2013 }}</ref> at the Television Critics Association Press Tour that Milch was developing a new series for the cable network tentatively titled ''The Money''. The show would depict a dynastic New York media family. Irish actor ] was cast in the lead role as a family patriarch and media mogul.<ref>{{cite web|title=HBO Orders New David Milch Pilot, The Money|url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/08/hbo-orders-new-david-milch-pilot-the-money.html|work=New York |date=August 13, 2013 |access-date=August 13, 2013}}</ref> It was announced on March 4, 2014, that HBO had passed on the project.<ref>{{cite web|last=Andreeva |first= Nellie |url= https://deadline.com/2014/03/david-milch-hbo-pilot-the-money-not-going-forward-693792/ |title=David Milch's HBO Pilot 'The Money' Not Going Forward |work=] |date= March 5, 2014 |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref>

On April 20, 2017, ] announced that Milch had submitted a script for a two-hour ''Deadwood'' movie to HBO. " two-hour movie script has been delivered to HBO. If they don't deliver , blame them." McShane said he had spoken to Milch about the script and hoped to soon discuss beginning the film. He also said of the original cast returning that "we'd all love to do it&nbsp;... It would be nice to see all of the old gang again."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/ian-mcshane-deadwood-creator-submitted-script-hbo-article-1.3079637|title=Actor Ian McShane says 'Deadwood' creator submitted revival movie script to HBO|work=]| date= April 20, 2017 |first=Dan |last= Gunderman |access-date=April 20, 2017}}</ref> '']'' began production in October 2018<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/deadwood-movie-starts-filming-majority-cast-returning-1158128| title= 'Deadwood' Movie Starts Filming With Majority of Cast Returning|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date= 2018-11-09|language=en}}</ref> and premiered in May 2019. The film received critical acclaim and a nomination for the ].

==Personal life==
Milch is Jewish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2007/10/three_things_you_would_have.html|title=David Milch Headlines Most Uncomfortable Panel Discussion Ever at 'New Yorker' Fest|work=Vulture|date=October 9, 2007 |access-date=May 5, 2016}}</ref> He has been married to Rita Stern since 1982. They have three children.

Milch has stated he has ].<ref name="newyorker">{{cite magazine|last1=Singer|first1=Mark|title=The Misfit|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/02/14/the-misfit-2|access-date=May 21, 2016|magazine=]|date=February 14, 2005}}</ref><ref name="dinnerforfive">{{Cite episode |series= ]|network=] |date=April 1, 2005 |season=4 |number=4 }}</ref> He developed a heart condition in the 1990s.<ref name="newyorker"/> During the filming of ''NYPD Blue'', he suffered a heart attack while arguing with actor ] over the script.<ref name="dinnerforfive"/>

In the 2000s, he became addicted to gambling and lost his fortune.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/david-milch-made-100m-gambled-866184/ |title=How the $100 Million 'NYPD Blue' Creator Gambled Away His Fortune |date=2016-02-17 |first1=Stephen |last1=Galloway |first2=Scott |last2=Johnson |work=] |accessdate=2024-02-03}}</ref>

He was diagnosed with ] in 2015 shortly before beginning work on the script for the ''Deadwood'' film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://buffalonews.com/2019/04/24/writer-david-milch-reveals-he-has-alzheimers-disease/|title=TV writer, Buffalo native David Milch reveals he has Alzheimer's disease|last=Pergament|first=Alan|date=April 24, 2019|work=]}}</ref> As of 2019, Milch lives in an assisted-living facility.<ref>{{Cite news| author = Dave Itzkoff | title = David Milch Still Has Stories to Tell | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/books/david-milch-still-has-stories-to-tell.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Books | work = The New York Times| date = September 3, 2022| access-date = September 3, 2022}}</ref> On September 13, 2022, Milch published a memoir titled ''Life's Work''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/12/books/review/david-milch-lifes-work.html |title=David Milch Made Remarkable TV. His Own Life Was a Drama, Too. |first1=Dwight |last1=Garner |date=2022-09-12 |work=]|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What Happened When I Started Going Back to the Track How the HBO series Luck coincided with the biggest disaster in David Milch's life. |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/09/david-milch-on-luck-and-the-biggest-disaster-in-his-life.html |first1=David |last1=Milch |authorlink=David Milch |date=2022-09-07 |website=vulture.com}}</ref>

===Thoroughbred horse racing===
Milch has been an owner of ] ]. As a co-owner with Mark and Jack Silverman, he won the 1992 ] with the colt ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/255495/infirmities-of-old-age-claim-gilded-time-at-age-31 |title=Infirmities of Old Age Claim Gilded Time at Age 31 |first1=Eric |last1=Mitchell |date=2021-12-10 |website=bloodhorse.com}}</ref> Milch owned outright ] who captured the 2001 ].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

==Television credits==
*'']'' (1982–87)
*'']'' (1983)
*'']'' (1987–88) (co-creator, with ])
*'']'' (1990) (co-creator, with Christian Williams)
*'']'' (1992)
*'']'' (1993–2005) (co-creator, with ])
*'']'' (1995)
*'']'' (1997–98) (co-creator, with ])
*'']'' (1997) (co-creator, with ], ], and ])
*'']'' (2001) (creator)
*'']'' (2004–06) (creator)
*'']'' (2007) (co-creator, with ])
*''Last of the Ninth'' (2009) (co-creator, with ])
*'']'' (2011–12) (creator)
*''The Money'' (2013) (creator)
*'']'' (2019)
*'']'' (2019)

==Bibliography==
* Milch, David and ]. ''True Blue: The Real Stories Behind NYPD Blue''. New York: William Morrow & Co, 1995. {{ISBN|978-0688140816}}
* Milch, David. ''Deadwood: Stories of the Black Hills''. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2006. {{ISBN|978-1596912397}}
* Milch, David. ''Life's Work: A Memoir''. New York: Random House, 2022. {{ISBN|978-0525510741}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Abramovitch|first=Seth|date=2022-02-01|title=David Milch to Address Gambling Addiction, Alzheimer's Diagnosis in New Memoir (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/david-milch-memoir-gambling-alzheimers-1235085191/|access-date=2022-02-02|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US}}</ref>


==Awards and recognition== ==Awards and recognition==
*1994 ], Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay (''NYPD Blue'', "4B or Not 4B") *1983 ], ] ('']'', "Trial By Fury")
*1995 ], Best Drama Series (''NYPD Blue'') *1994 ], Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay ('']'', "4B or Not 4B")
*1995 ], Best Drama Series (''NYPD Blue'')
*1995 ], Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay (''NYPD Blue'', "Simone Says") (shared with Steven Bochco and ]) *1995 ], Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay (''NYPD Blue'', "Simone Says") (shared with Steven Bochco and ])
*1997 ], Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (''NYPD Blue'', "Where's 'Swaldo")
*1998 ], Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (''NYPD Blue'', "Lost Israel: Part 2")
*2006 ], Outstanding Television Writer Award recipient
*2019 ], ]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading, audio interviews, and videos==
*{{cite book|url=http://blip.tv/sag-foundation/an-evening-with-acclaimed-writer-producer-david-milch-5372788|title=An Evening with Acclaimed Writer/Producer David Milch|publisher=] Foundation|date=July 13, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (Video: 80-minutes.)
*{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/01/25/145706854/david-milch-trying-his-luck-with-horse-racing|title=David Milch: Trying His 'Luck' With Horse Racing|author=Davies, Dave|author-link=Dave Davies (reporter)|author2=Milch, David|name-list-style=amp|work=]|date=January 25, 2012}}
*{{cite news |author=Havrilesky, Heather |url=http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2005/03/05/milch/index.html |title=The man behind 'Deadwood' |work=Salon.com |date=March 5, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823115956/http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2005/03/05/milch/index.html |archive-date=August 23, 2006 |df=mdy }}
*{{cite magazine|author=Singer, Mark|author-link=Mark Singer (journalist)|url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/02/14/050214fa_fact_singer|title=The Misfit|magazine=The New Yorker|date=February 14, 2005}} Profile of Milch.
*{{cite book |url=http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/383/ |title=Television's Great Writer ''(David Milch at MIT'') |location=Cambridge, MA |date=April 20, 2006 |access-date=October 17, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061102225922/http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/383/ |archive-date=November 2, 2006 |url-status=dead }} (Video: 1:23:15.)
* {{cite magazine |author=Singer, Mark |author-link=Mark Singer (journalist) |date=May 27, 2019 |title=Hello, darkness: the creator of several hit shows has dementia. And some thoughts about that |department=Profiles |magazine=The New Yorker |volume=95 |issue=14 |pages=24–30 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/27/david-milchs-third-act <!--access-date=2019-09-05-->}}{{efn|Online version is titled "David Milch's Third Act".}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==External links== ==External links==
* {{imdb name|id=0586965|name=David Milch}} *{{IMDb name|586965|David Milch}}
*{{emmytvlegends name|david-milch}}
*: ]
*{{cite web|url=http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=2139 |title=Bio: David S. Milch |website=] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929100122/http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=2139 |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |df=mdy }}
*{{wikia|jfc|John From Cincinnati Wiki}}
*{{cite web|url=http://theideaofthewriter.blogspot.com/ |title=Collection of David Milch lectures in audio and video formats|website=The Idea of the Writer}}
* article at
*] Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
*
*


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Latest revision as of 16:06, 27 December 2024

American TV writer and producer (born 1945)

David Milch
David Milch at the 64th Annual Peabody Awards in 2005
BornDavid Sanford Milch
(1945-03-23) March 23, 1945 (age 79)
Buffalo, New York
EducationYale University (BA)
University of Iowa (MFA)
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, television producer
Spouse Rita Stern ​(m. 1982)​
Children3

David Sanford Milch (born March 23, 1945) is an American writer and producer of television series. He has created several television shows, including ABC's NYPD Blue (1993–2005), co-created with Steven Bochco, and HBO's Deadwood (2004–2006, 2019).

Early life and education

Milch graduated with a B.A. summa cum laude from Yale University, where he won the Tinker Prize in English, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter, along with future US President George W. Bush. Milch earned a Master of Fine Arts with distinction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa.

To avoid the draft during the Vietnam War, Milch enrolled in Yale Law School, but he was expelled for allegedly shooting out a police car siren with a shotgun.

Career

Milch worked as a writing teacher and lecturer in English literature at Yale. During his teaching career, he assisted Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks in the writing of several college textbooks on literature. Milch's poetry and fiction have been published in The Atlantic Monthly and the Southern Review.

In 1982, Milch wrote a script for Hill Street Blues, which became the episode "Trial by Fury". This began his career in television. He worked five seasons on Hill Street Blues as executive story editor and then as executive producer. Milch earned two Writers Guild Awards, a Humanitas prize, and a Primetime Emmy Award while working on that show.

Milch created NYPD Blue with Steven Bochco and served as executive producer of that series for seven seasons. He received three Primetime Emmy Awards during his time with the series. In a 1994 seminar on "Human Values in Entertainment Writing: The Challenges and the Pitfalls," Milch described his affinity for the show's character Detective Andy Sipowicz by noting, "I'm racist." He also recalled a writing workshop he led some years earlier, noting that "None of the black writing was any good," adding:

Jews tend to do very well in this business . . . because Jews experience a typical emotional doubleness in relation to the dominant culture, which is that they are both inside and outside it . . . A black has to experience more anger and self-division in order to achieve the kind of emotional neutrality that you need to write about the culture.

Milch explained in a later statement that "The seminar I gave was an attempt to describe the process of writing and not a statement of political or social values." In response to Milch's comments, David Mills wrote a letter in which he challenged Milch's assumptions concerning black writers. As a result, Milch hired Mills as a writer for NYPD Blue.

Milch co-created the patrol police drama Brooklyn South with Bochco, Bill Clark, and William M. Finkelstein in 1997 while still working on NYPD Blue. After NYPD Blue, Milch created a CBS series called Big Apple.

From 2004 to 2006, Milch produced Deadwood, a dramatic series for HBO. Milch served as creator, writer, and executive producer. The series received critical acclaim and garnered Milch two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for writing and producing. The series ended in 2006 after three seasons. There were plans for two feature-length movies to conclude the series, ultimately resulting in a single film released by HBO in 2019. Actor Ian McShane presented David Milch with the 2006 Outstanding Television Writer Award at the Austin Film Festival.

Milch began production in 2006 on John from Cincinnati, another dramatic series for HBO. The series was canceled after its first season. Initial ratings had been lower than expected but increased steadily. Ratings for the final episode were more than 3 million. In October 2007, HBO renewed its contract with Milch. A pilot was commissioned for Last of the Ninth, "a drama set in the New York Police Department during the 1970s, when the Knapp Commission was formed to ferret out corruption in the force." Collaborating with Milch on Last of the Ninth was former NYPD Blue writer and friend Bill Clark. In December 2008, The Hollywood Reporter stated that Last of the Ninth would not be picked up by the network.

In January 2010, Milch announced that he was developing a new drama for HBO entitled Luck, based around the culture of horse racing. Michael Mann directed the pilot and Dustin Hoffman was cast in the lead role. HBO picked up the series on July 14, 2010. The series ceased production after three horse deaths on set, having aired one season. Other unrealized projects of Milch's during the early 2010s included a film adaptation of Quantic Dream's 2010 video game Heavy Rain, a reunion with NYPD Blue collaborator Steven Bochco on an NBC legal drama, and a series of films and television series for HBO based on the literary works of William Faulkner.

In July 2013 HBO announced at the Television Critics Association Press Tour that Milch was developing a new series for the cable network tentatively titled The Money. The show would depict a dynastic New York media family. Irish actor Brendan Gleeson was cast in the lead role as a family patriarch and media mogul. It was announced on March 4, 2014, that HBO had passed on the project.

On April 20, 2017, Ian McShane announced that Milch had submitted a script for a two-hour Deadwood movie to HBO. " two-hour movie script has been delivered to HBO. If they don't deliver , blame them." McShane said he had spoken to Milch about the script and hoped to soon discuss beginning the film. He also said of the original cast returning that "we'd all love to do it ... It would be nice to see all of the old gang again." Deadwood: The Movie began production in October 2018 and premiered in May 2019. The film received critical acclaim and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.

Personal life

Milch is Jewish. He has been married to Rita Stern since 1982. They have three children.

Milch has stated he has bipolar disorder. He developed a heart condition in the 1990s. During the filming of NYPD Blue, he suffered a heart attack while arguing with actor David Caruso over the script.

In the 2000s, he became addicted to gambling and lost his fortune.

He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2015 shortly before beginning work on the script for the Deadwood film. As of 2019, Milch lives in an assisted-living facility. On September 13, 2022, Milch published a memoir titled Life's Work.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Milch has been an owner of thoroughbred racehorses. As a co-owner with Mark and Jack Silverman, he won the 1992 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with the colt Gilded Time. Milch owned outright Val Royal who captured the 2001 Breeders' Cup Mile.

Television credits

Bibliography

  • Milch, David and Clark, Bill. True Blue: The Real Stories Behind NYPD Blue. New York: William Morrow & Co, 1995. ISBN 978-0688140816
  • Milch, David. Deadwood: Stories of the Black Hills. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2006. ISBN 978-1596912397
  • Milch, David. Life's Work: A Memoir. New York: Random House, 2022. ISBN 978-0525510741

Awards and recognition

References

  1. Barra, Allen. "The Man Who Made Deadwood". American History Lives at American Heritage. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  2. "Prominent Deke Alumni: Phi's David Milch". GoDeke.org. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  3. "Prizes and Deadlines". Yale.edu. English Department, Yale University. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  4. "David Milch". iowalum.com. University of Iowa Alumni Association. Archived from the original on February 15, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  5. "David Milch & the strategies of indirection in fiction by William Logan". February 22, 2023.
  6. "David Milch". writing.UPenn.edu. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  7. Champlin, Charles (February 25, 1988). "Passing Along His 'Street' Luck". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  8. Weinraub, Bernard (June 18, 2000). "Television/Radio; The Demons That Have Driven 'N.Y.P.D. Blue'". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  9. ^ Braxton, Greg (November 10, 1994). "'NYPD' Figure Tries to Clarify Race Remarks'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  10. Millman, Joyce (September 22, 1997). "Racist -- or realistic?". Archived from the original on July 3, 2007.
  11. Littlejohn, Janice Rhoshalle (March 14, 2001). "Detective Work at 'Big Apple's' Core". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  12. "2006 Winners - Austin Film Festival". Austin Film Festival. April 29, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  13. Nielsen Media News, August 14, 2007.
  14. "The saga of 'Deadwood' takes another turn". Chicago Tribune. October 10, 2007. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2007.
  15. "HBO picks up 'Hung'". The Hollywood Reporter (via web archive). Archived from the original on December 19, 2008.
  16. Fleming, Michael (January 5, 2010). "Mann, Milch in 'Luck' with HBO". Variety.
  17. Andreeva, Nellie (March 2, 2010). "Dustin Hoffman to star in HBO pilot Luck". Reuters. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  18. Hibberd, James (July 14, 2010). "Dustin Hoffman to star in horse racing series". Reuters. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  19. McNary, Dave (January 27, 2011). "David Milch adapting 'Heavy Rain' game". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  20. "Drama Titans Steven Bochco and David Milch Are Reuniting to Save NBC". New York. October 14, 2011.
  21. "HBO Signs David Milch and His New Partner, William Faulkner". Time. November 30, 2011.
  22. Cohen, Stefanie (July 25, 2013). "William Faulkner's Heirs Aim to Preserve His Legacy and Profit From It". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  23. "'Deadwood' creator near deal for HBO drama pilot". Entertainment Weekly. July 25, 2013.
  24. "HBO Orders New David Milch Pilot, The Money". New York. August 13, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  25. Andreeva, Nellie (March 5, 2014). "David Milch's HBO Pilot 'The Money' Not Going Forward". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  26. Gunderman, Dan (April 20, 2017). "Actor Ian McShane says 'Deadwood' creator submitted revival movie script to HBO". Daily News. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  27. "'Deadwood' Movie Starts Filming With Majority of Cast Returning". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  28. "David Milch Headlines Most Uncomfortable Panel Discussion Ever at 'New Yorker' Fest". Vulture. October 9, 2007. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  29. ^ Singer, Mark (February 14, 2005). "The Misfit". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  30. ^ Dinner for Five. Season 4. Episode 4. April 1, 2005. Independent Film Channel.
  31. Galloway, Stephen; Johnson, Scott (February 17, 2016). "How the $100 Million 'NYPD Blue' Creator Gambled Away His Fortune". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  32. Pergament, Alan (April 24, 2019). "TV writer, Buffalo native David Milch reveals he has Alzheimer's disease". The Buffalo News.
  33. Dave Itzkoff (September 3, 2022). "David Milch Still Has Stories to Tell". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  34. Garner, Dwight (September 12, 2022). "David Milch Made Remarkable TV. His Own Life Was a Drama, Too". The New York Times.
  35. Milch, David (September 7, 2022). "What Happened When I Started Going Back to the Track How the HBO series Luck coincided with the biggest disaster in David Milch's life". vulture.com.
  36. Mitchell, Eric (December 10, 2021). "Infirmities of Old Age Claim Gilded Time at Age 31". bloodhorse.com.
  37. Abramovitch, Seth (February 1, 2022). "David Milch to Address Gambling Addiction, Alzheimer's Diagnosis in New Memoir (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 2, 2022.

Further reading, audio interviews, and videos

Notes

  1. Online version is titled "David Milch's Third Act".

External links

Awards for David Milch
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
TCA Career Achievement Award
Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama (1980–1989)
Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
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