Monday night, Aug. 5,  Hulu aired episode one of “Quick Draw,” and Great Bend, the setting for the web-exclusive series, jumped onto Hollywood’s radar.  It’s part of a trend in bringing original content to audiences that once only came from the big three networks and later cable television.  One caveat: the show is definitely geared toward a mature audience.

Quick Draw
The premier episode of the new western improvised comedy, set in the Great Bend of 1875, aired Monday night.  
Hulu execs describe the storyline as, “Fresh off the stagecoach from Harvard, Sheriff John Henry Hoyle faces an uphill battle in his quest to introduce the emerging science of forensics to an unruly Kansas town. Though the citizens of Great Bend, Kansas are generally unimpressed with Sheriff Hoyle’s educational pedigree, they come to appreciate his sharp mind and sharper shooting as he and his reluctant Deputy Eli hunt down robbers, murderers, and the dangerous riffraff that have plagued the town for years.”
John Lehr, who stars as Sheriff John Henry Hoyle, told the Tribune that growing up in Kansas had a lot to do with his decision to set the story in Kansas.  It also had a lot to do with his desire to write a western-themed comedy series.  Lehr is originally from Overland Park, and he spent a lot of time visiting family in El Dorado.
“I’ve been all over Kansas and been to Dodge City several times,” he said.  Not only that, one of the actors appearing in “Quick Draw” is Nick Holmes from, you guessed it, Dodge City.  He plays Frank James in episode two, “The Legend of Belle Star.”  One of the producers suggested he audition.
“I was very excited to play a bad guy in a western – even if it is broad comedy – as well as they were excited that I grew up near Great Bend and that I can gun twirl,” Holmes said in an e-mail to the Tribune.  The 31-year old actor is most famous for playing Robert Grimaldi on the television series “Gilmore Girls,” which appeared from 2000 to 2007 on The WB.
“Quick Draw,” described as “Crime Scene Investigation” meets “Blazing Saddles,” allowed Lehr and co-writer and producer Nancy Hower to explore the science of forensics, a popular angle, in a fresh and humorous way.  It was in its infancy in 1875, so only a college educated practitioner would possess the knowledge – thus the Harvard connection.   The actors, many of whom are improvisational actors and actresses, enjoy the creative freedom of loosely following the script outline, Lehr said.
Lehr and Hower also produced two seasons of “10 items or Less” in 2006-2007 for TBS, and after that project ended, they did some pilots for other networks.  Hulu contacted them ... and they had Hulu in mind while developing the series.

That’s not how it happened ...
Lehr said he and Hower like the idea of “sprinkling droplets of history” into each of the episodes, but it’s not Great Bend history.  It’s that way on purpose.
“Even if you produce a fictional story about a place, you have to be careful viewers don’t construe you’re portraying a real person from that place,” he said.
Lehr says there is a fair amount of Kansas and Wild West history woven into the story.  For instance, the bad guy is named Cole Younger after the notorious bandit.  Other tidbits include Sheriff Hoyle’s brief marriage to historical bandit queen Belle Starr, and the appearance of his stepdaughter, Pearl Starr, a notorious bordello owner of the Wild West, who begins her career working as a saloon girl in the story.
“We had to set it in a town where a lot of those things didn’t happen, specifically,” he said.    “Plus, I liked the name Great Bend. It’s a great name.”
Other references give “Quick Draw” a definite Wild West Kansas flavor.  Great Bend’s Mayor Dodge, with the help of the Younger gang, plots to become the richest landowner in Butler County,  a reference to his family’s El Dorado roots.  But, it’s primarily comedy, Lehr said.

But it’s fun anyway
A unique and purely fun aspect of the series, intended only for mature audiences, is the “mixology” available to subscribers.  It’s an idea Lehr credits his wife for.
“She found an old book with recipes for these drinks and said “Hey, you guys need to do this,” and Hulu was excited about the possibilities and told us to go for it,” he said.
Each episode includes a short video showing how to prepare an 1850s alcoholic beverage.  The first two episodes cover “whiskey skin” and “gin and pine.”  They also provide a secret word and Lehr envisions viewers getting together to watch, and play along by taking a drink whenever they hear a character say the word.  Their inspiration is simple, according to Lehr.
“If all of America is hammered while you watch our shows, we’re going to be a hit!”
“Quick Draw” premiered on Aug. 5 with new episodes airing every Monday on Hulu and Hulu Plus.