Into the West (miniseries)

Into the West
Promotional poster
Written by	William Mastrosimone Cyrus Nowrasteh Craig Storper Kirk Ellis
Directed by	Robert Dornhelm Simon Wincer Sergio Mimica-Gezzan Michael W. Watkins Timothy Van Patten Jeremy Podeswa
Starring	Various
Narrated by	Matthew Settle
Theme music composer	Geoff Zanelli
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	6
Production
Producer(s)	Steven Spielberg William Mastrosimone Justin Falvey David A. Rosemont Larry Rapaport Wendy Hill-Tout Michelle Wong Kirk Ellis
Editor(s)	Mark Conte Sabrina Plisco
Running time	552 minutes
Production company(s)	DreamWorks Television Voice Pictures
Release
Original network	TNT
Original release	June 10 – July 22, 2005 (2005-07-22)
External links
Website

Into the West is a 2005 miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks, with six two-hour episodes (including commercials). The series was first broadcast in the U.S. on Turner Network Television (TNT) on six Fridays starting on June 10, 2005. It was also shown in the UK on BBC2 and BBC HD from November 4, 2006, and in Canada on CBC Television. The series also aired in the U.S. on AMC during the summer (June/July) and fall (autumn, September/October) of 2012.

The miniseries begins in the 1820s and is told mainly through the third person narration of Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle) and Loved By the Buffalo (Joseph M. Marshall III), although episodes outside the direct observation of both protagonists are also shown. The plot follows the story of two families, one white American, one Native American, as their lives become mingled through the momentous events of American expansion. The story intertwines real and fictional characters and events spanning the period of expansion of the United States in the American West, from 1825 to 1890.

The show has a large cast, with about 250 speaking parts. The series features well known performers including Josh Brolin, Gary Busey, Michael Spears, Tonantzin Carmelo, Skeet Ulrich, Garrett Wang, Steve Reevis, Rachael Leigh Cook, Wes Studi, Irene Bedard, Alan Tudyk, Christian Kane, Russell Means, Jay Tavare, David Midthunder, Keri Russell, Graham Greene, Zahn McClarnon, Tom Berenger, Gil Birmingham, David Paymer, Raoul Trujillo, Eric Schweig, Lance Henriksen, Simon R. Baker, Tyler Christopher, Tatanka Means, Tokala Clifford, Gordon Tootoosis, Sheila Tousey, and Will Patton.