McShane compares Deadwood to Bush administration

Ian McShane has compared his hit TV show Deadwood to the current US government under George W Bush, because both have featured "rigged elections" and "backroom deals".

British McShane, who plays foul-mouthed Al Swearengen in the western series, claims contemporary American politicians operate in a similar manner to how they did in the Wild West.

McShane tells the New York Daily News: "In Deadwood, we dramatised the backroom deals, the rigged elections, and the treachery that shows how American capitalism started.

"It does smack of a certain similarity that has been occurring in certain quarters in the last few years.

"It reminds me that from the days of the gold rush until now, government has existed for three reasons: one, to separate rich people from poor people; second, for the government to take as much of the remaining money from the poor people; third, to protect the rich people from themselves."

It was recently announced Deadwood will end following its third series, although creator David Milch has suggested a pair of two-hour films may follow.