Is the Rapture coming, or has it already happened? HBO’s new series, The Leftovers, grapples with this profound question. The show takes place in the aftermath of the unexplained disappearance of 2% of the world’s population. Those left behind are struggling to make sense of what has happened and are trying to deal with the fallout. The main character, Kevin Garvey, who is played by Justin Theroux, is a cop with two kids in a suburb of New York, and the show takes place three years after the event. Here are five things you need to know about this series:
1. WHEN IS IT ON?
The show debuts on June 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and there are 10 episodes in the first season.
2. THE TRAILER ROCKS
The show’s trailer rocks. Check it out:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Shn1mPejr_4
3. IT’S BASED ON A TOM PERROTTA BOOK
The series is based on the 2011 bestselling novel of the same name. Perrotta received an Academy Award nomination in 2006 for Best Adapted Screenplay for Little Children, which was adapted from his own book of the same name.
4. DAMON LINDELOF IS THE SHOWRUNNER
If you don’t know Damon Lindelof’s name, then you may not have been watching too much TV for the past decade. He is best known on the small screen as the co-creator and showrunner of the phenomenally successful Lost, which ran for six seasons. He is no slouch when it comes to movies either; he has writer credits on Cowboys and Aliens, Prometheus, and World War Z. He also co-wrote and co-produced Star Trek Into Darkness.
5. THE CAST IS STRONG
Justin Theroux leads an excellent cast that boasts some serious talent. Theroux himself is a veteran of some critically acclaimed HBO productions: He had a recurring role in Six Feet Under and played John Hancock in the miniseries John Adams. Liv Tyler of Lord of the Rings fame also stars, as does English actor Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who, 28 Days Later), Ann Dowd, and Amy Brenneman.
