Violence, sex, wheeling and dealing, and enough f-words to make the toughest ear wince - HBO's TV drama Deadwood, set in the American West, lays it all on the table.

The story begins two weeks after Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn, The richest gold strike in American History located in the Black Hills Indian Cession, the "town" of Deadwood is an illegal settlement, a violent and uncivilized outpost that attracts a throng of restless misfits looking to get rich - from outlaws and entrepreneurs to ex-soldiers and racketeers, Chinese labourers, prostitutes, city dudes and gunfighters.

Join the La Trobe Cinema Studies panel of Terrie Waddell, Rolando Caputo and Gabrielle Murray as they explore the show that intertwines historical misfits with 'colourful' fictional characters in a ruthless, lawless town.