Televisions heated up this summer when The History Channel aired a three-part miniseries based on the real-life story of William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield and his friend turned enemy, Randall McCoy. The show, simply titled “Hatfields & McCoys,” gained a big audience. “The reason I wanted to watch the show was because of all the hype about it. After watching the first episode, it kept my attention. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I kept watching because I wanted to see if things would ever work out,” Nicki French-Simcoe said. The show shed light on the almost war between Kentucky and West Virginia and the crumbling friendship between the Hatfields and McCoys. Brown High School student Haley Oakes said, “While watching the show, I was interested in the conflicts that occurred and the way of life back then. Each character took part in evil manners to protect themselves and how they wanted to live,” Many know about the feud between the two men and families, but not all of the details involved. “Frankly, I did not know the reasons behind this feud or when this took place. I just knew it was the biggest family rivalry in our country’s history. By watching this series, I learned so much about this feud,” Trinity 2012 alumnus Luis Corrons said. The feud started in 1865 when McCoy’s brother Asa was murdered by some of the members of the Hatfield family. Asa was murdered for being a Union soldier. While the show was popular because of the story line, Sacred Heart student Elise Martino said she originally tuned in because she liked the music on the commercial. “Honestly, I loved the song they played in the commercial (“Bartholomew” by The Silent Comedy), and I thought the concept of the show seemed really interesting, too,” Martino said. “Hatfields & McCoys” was not only popular in Kentucky, but also nationwide. Kevin Costner, who plays Anse Hatfield, won an Emmy for best lead actor in a miniseries, and Tom Berenger, who plays Jim Vance, won an Emmy for best supporting role in a miniseries. “The way the series was made was just phenomenal–the acting, the filming, the script, the set. It was all well developed and well written,” Martino said. Although the show entertained, many people learned a great deal about the feud and Kentucky’s history. Corrons said, “I never realized how gritty life was in the late nineteenth century. This series depicts these two families as the roughest, toughest people of the East in the late 1800s.”