Rollin' on out! AMC greenlights the railroad series 'Hell on Wheels'

A big train's a-comin' for AMC: On Wednesday, the network announced a full series order for "Hell on Wheels," a post-Civil War western about a former Confederate solider (Anson Mount) who heads west to avenge his wife's murder and ends up working on the first Transcontinental Railroad. The show also stars the rapper-slash-actor Common, who plays a freed slave looking for work.

"We are thrilled to bring ‘Hell on Wheels’ to series,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s senior vice president of original programming, production and digital content, in a statement. “AMC's commitment to the western is long standing, and the genre is an important part of our brand and history as a channel. This show has some incredibly original twists and turns and a contemporary sensibility that we think will bring a very broad audience to our newest drama series."

With "Hell on Wheels," AMC continues to delve into genre fare: the zombie-fest "The Walking Dead" was nominated for a Golden Globe on Tuesday, and "The Killing," a crime drama set in the Northwest, is due early next year.

 — Melissa Maerz

Photo: Common. Credit: EPA / Justin Lane