The story
Kirsten was a child actor when a deadly flu swept the world and society collapsed almost overnight. Twenty years on, she performs with the Traveling Symphony, a roaming company that brings theatre to isolated communities. Jumping between the panic of those first days and the fragile world that followed, the story shows how art, memory and a much-loved comic book connect strangers, even as a menacing cult emerges.
Why it matters
A critically acclaimed HBO Max original adapted from Emily St. John Mandel's novel, it was made partly during the COVID-19 pandemic and tells a story about the value of art after catastrophe rather than mere survival. Seven Emmy nominations, including one for Himesh Patel, underlined the ambition of the service's early limited series.
Notable facts
- HBO Max ordered the series on 25 June 2019. (source)
- Filming began in Chicago in January 2020 but, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, moved to Mississauga, near Toronto, in February 2021. (source)
- It received seven Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Himesh Patel. (source)
- Somerville moved the novel's Toronto setting to his own native Chicago. (source)