There’s a new western saga galloping onto Channel 5 tonight in the form of Hatfields & McCoys. Starring Kevin Costner as a grizzled, pipe-smoking family patriarch and featuring a beguiling mixture of American and British talent among its cast, the drama certainly looks intriguing.

But how good is your American history?  Do you know what the title refers to?

Well, the five-part series centres on a feud between two families, the titular Hatfields and McCoys, that raged throughout the latter half of the 19^th century in the American south.

It’s a conflict that’s rather better known across the Pond than it is in Britain, but fear not - Kevin Costner’s on hand (well, in these two videos) to give you a bit of background on the series:

The actor also explains why he opted to take a break from Hollywood in order to make the show, revealing that the quality of the show’s writing was so good he just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be involved:

Described by Radio Times reviewer David Butcher as a tale which "takes on a kind of mythic force" and a series which offers western fans "all the squinting and tobacco spitting and tough-talk and fiddle music they could hope for," Hatfields & McCoys begins tonight on Channel 5 at 9:00pm.