Nick Nolte will be joining stars like Dustin Hoffman in the upcoming HBO pilot 'Luck.' It says a lot about a premium cable series when they can get movie-level stars to be in them. It says that either the programming is top-notch or the economy is in the crapper. Maybe it says a little of both.

Michael Mann is one of the people behind 'Luck,' and that probably helps in terms of casting. The show is about a disparate group of people at a horse track.

Keep in mind this is only for the pilot. If this gets turned into a series, there is no guarantee about who will stay and who will go.

Nolte's last television appearance was in 'Rich Man, Poor Man' in 1976 (according to his IMDB profile). He's done a couple of movies since then (a personal favorite remains '48 Hours'), but you have to admit 34 years is a long time between television roles. 'Luck' is something to look forward to.