David Farnor | On 07, Sep 2017

Channel 4’s Electric Dreams will air on UK TV from Sunday 17th September – and we’ve get all the details about the new Philip K Dick series.

The series, which will consist of 10 standalone episodes based on the sci-fi author’s short stories, is a co-production between the UK broadcaster and Amazon Prime Video, with the latter releasing the programme in the USA.

Adapted by such writers as Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), Jack Thorne (National Treasure, Skins, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Matthew Graham (Life on Mars, Doctor Who), David Farr (The Night Manager), Dee Rees (Mudbound) and Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim), the show has assembled an equally impressive line-up of talent in front of the camera, including Steven Buscemi, Timothy Spall, Anna Paquin, Terrence Howard, Richard Madden, Vera Farmiga and Benedict Wong.

Now, we’ve got our first trailer for the show, which gives us a look at that talent in action – and it looks like Channel 4 have found the perfect thing to fill their Black Mirror-shaped hole.

The 10-episode run will premiere at 9pm on Sunday 17th September – and, as well as a trailer, Channel 4 has unveiled the synopses for each episode.

The Hood Maker

Richard Madden (Game of Thrones, Cinderella), Holliday Grainger (The Finest Hours, Cinderella) and Anneika Rose (Line of Fire, Silent Witness) star in “The Hood Maker.” An episode is set in a world without advanced technology and where mutant telepaths have become humanity’s only mechanism for long distance communication. But their powers have unintended implications and when the public begin to embrace mysterious, telepath-blocking hoods, two detectives with an entangled past are brought in to investigate. Richard Madden will play Agent Ross, Holiday Grainger plays Honor and Anneika Rose plays Mary. “The Hood Maker” is written by Matthew Graham (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) and directed by Julian Jarrold (Becoming Jane, Kinky Boots).

Crazy Diamond

Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire, Boss Baby) will play Ed Morris in the ultimate Philip K. Dick comic film noir nightmare “Crazy Diamond”, inspired by the story “Sales Pitch”. As average a man as ever there was, when approached by a gorgeous synthetic woman with an illegal plan that could change his life completely, a smitten Ed decides to help… and then his world really begins to crumble. Also, appearing alongside Steve Buscemi are BAFTA award winner Sidse Babett Knudsen (Westworld, Inferno), BAFTA and Royal Television Society award winner Julia Davis (Nighty Night, Black Mirror, Gavin & Stacy, Love Actually), BAFTA and Royal Television Society award winner Joanna Scanlan (No Offence, Bridget Jones’s Baby, Getting On). “Crazy Diamond” is written by Tony Grisoni (The Young Pope, Red Riding, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) and directed by Marc Munden (National Treasure, Utopia).

Impossible Planet

Jack Reynor (Macbeth, Free Fire, Jungle Book) and Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange, The Martian, Top Boy), lead the cast of “Impossible Planet” as two disillusioned, disenchanted and indifferent space tourism employees who take up an elderly woman’s (Geraldine Chaplin, A Monster Calls, Doctor Zhivago) request for a trip back to Earth… the existence of which is a long-debunked myth. She appears easily confused, plus she’s rich – so, for the right payment, what’s the harm in indulging her fantasies? As the journey unfolds, however, their scam begins to eat away at them and they ultimately find themselves dealt a bittersweet surprise. Written and directed by David Farr (The Night Manager, Hanna, McMafia), the episode is based on the short story “The Impossible Planet” by Philip K. Dick.

The Commuter

BAFTA-winning actor Timothy Spall (Mr Turner) will star in “The Commuter.” He plays Ed Jacobson, an unassuming employee at a train station who is alarmed to discover that a number of daily commuters are taking the train to a town that shouldn’t exist. Also stars Hayley Squires (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and Tuppance Middleton (The Imitation Game). “The Commuter” is based on the short story of the same name by Philip K. Dick and is written by BAFTA-winning Jack Thorne (National Treasure, This is England, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). The episode is directed by Tom Harper (War & Peace, Peaky Blinders).

Real Life

Anna Paquin (True Blood, the X-Men films) plays Sarah, a policewoman living in the future who shares headspace with George, played by Terrence Howard (Empire, Lee Daniel’s The Butler) a brilliant game designer, as each pursue violent killers whose plans could have shattering consequences. In a race against time, sharing a bond that no one else can see, they learn the very thing that connects them can also destroy them. Additionally, rounding out the cast of the episode “Real Life” are Rachelle Lefevre (Under The Dome, Twilight), Lara Pulver (Underworld: Blood Wars, Sherlock), Jacob Vargas (Luke Cage, Sons of Anarchy), Sam Witwer (Once Upon A Time, Being Human), and Guy Burnet (Hand of God, Hollyoaks). The episode is written by Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) and directed by Jeffrey Reiner (The Affair, Fargo, 12 Monkeys)

Human Is

Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony award-winner and Academy Award nominee Bryan Cranston (Trumbo, All the Way, Breaking Bad) will star opposite Essie Davis (Game of Thrones, The White Princess, The Babadook) in “Human Is.” Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans) also appears along with Ruth Bradley (Humans, The Fall). A woman (Essie Davis) suffering in a loveless marriage finds that upon his return from battle, her emotionally abusive husband (Bryan Cranston) suddenly appears to be a different man – in more ways than one. This episode cuts to the heart of Philip K. Dick’s core concern – what, truly, defines us as human? “Human Is” was written by Jessica Mecklenburg (Huff, Stranger Things) and directed by Francesca Gregorini (The Truth About Emanuel, Tanner Hall).

Kill All Others

Mel Rodriguez (Last Man on Earth, Getting On, Little Miss Sunshine) and Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel, The Departed) star in “Kill All Others”. A man hangs dead from a lamppost, apparently murdered and inexplicably ignored by passersby, after a politician (Vera Farmiga) makes a shocking statement encouraging violence. When one man (Rodriguez) dares to question the situation he becomes an instant target. Written and directed by Dee Rees (Bessie, Pariah), this episode stars Mel Rodriguez (Last Man on Earth, Getting On, Little Miss Sunshine) as the extraordinarily average Philbert Noyce, Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton, Kong: Skull Island) as Lenny and Glenn Morshower (Aftermath, Supergirl, Bloodline) as Ed, his co-workers, and Sarah Brown (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, General Hospital) as Philbert’s wife Maggie Noyce.

Autofac

Juno Temple (Vinyl, The Dark Knight Rises) and Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures, Moonlight) star in “Autofac”. Despite society and the world as we know it having collapsed, a massive, automatic product-manufacturing factory continues to operate according to the principles of consumerism – humans consume products to be happy, and in order to consume continuously, they must be denied freedom of choice and free will. When a small band of rebels decide to shut down the factory, they discover they may actually be the perfect consumers after all. Temple will play, Emily, one of the rebels and Monae appears as Alexis, an Autofac representative. Jay Paulson (Mad Men, Grimm) and David Lyons (Revolution, ER) will also appear in the episode. Peter Horton (Grey’s Anatomy, American Odyssey, Thirtysomething) directs the episode written by Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim, Clash of The Titans).

Safe And Sound

Annalise Basso (Captain Fantastic, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Cold) and Maura Tierney (The Affair, The Good Wife, ER) will star in “Safe and Sound.” A small-town girl (Annalise Basso), already gripped with social anxiety, moves to a big futuristic city with her mother (Maura Tierney). Exposed for the first time to urban society’s emphasis on security and terrorist prevention, it isn’t long before her school days are consumed by fear and paranoia. She soon finds guidance and companionship in the most unexpected of places. “Safe & Sound” is written by Kalen Egan (The Man In The High Castle) & Travis Sentell (Believer with Reza Aslan) and directed by Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World, Terminator Genisys)

Father Thing

Greg Kinnear (Heaven is For Real, As Good As It Gets), SAG Award winner and Academy Award nominee, stars as Father in “Father Thing” written and directed by Emmy award winner Michael Dinner (Sneaky Pete, Justified, The Wonder Years) who also serves as executive producer on the series. In this episode the world is under attack as aliens quietly invade our homes. Charlie (Jack Gore – Billions), our young hero must make the most difficult decisions imaginable, to protect his Mother, played by Mireille Enos (The Catch, The Killing, World War Z) and the human race, as he is among the first to realize that humans are being replaced by dangerous monsters.

 

Maura Tierney and Liam Cunningham complete cast for Electric Dreams

8th June 2017

Channel 4 and Amazon have completed the casting for their Philip K Dick anthology Electric Dreams.

The series, which will consist of 10 standalone episodes based on the sci-fi author’s short stories, is a co-production between the UK broadcaster and the streaming service, with the latter releasing the programme in the USA.

Adapted by such writers as Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), Jack Thorne (National Treasure, Skins, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Matthew Graham (Life on Mars, Doctor Who), David Farr (The Night Manager), Dee Rees (Mudbound) and Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim), the show has assembled an equally impressive line-up of talent in front of the camera, including Steven Buscemi, Timothy Spall, Anna Paquin, Terrence Howard, Richard Madden, Vera Farmiga and Benedict Wong.

Now, that ensemble of acting names is officially complete, with the final few roles cast.

Annalise Basso (Captain Fantastic, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Cold) and Maura Tierney (The Affair, The Good Wife, ER) will star in an episode titled Safe & Sound.

Written by Kalen Egan (The Man In The High Castle) & Travis Sentell (Believer with Reza Aslan), and directed by Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World), it sees a small-town girl (Basso), already gripped with social anxiety, move to a big futuristic city with her mother (Tierney). Exposed for the first time to urban society’s emphasis on security and terrorist prevention, it isn’t long before her school days are consumed by fear and paranoia. But she soon finds guidance and companionship in the most unexpected of places.

Essie Davis (Game of Thrones, The Babadook) will star opposite Bryan Cranston, also an exec producer on the show, in Human Is.

Written by Jessica Mecklenburg (Stranger Things) and directed by Francesca Gregorini (The Truth About Emanuel), it follows a woman suffering in a loveless marriage (Davis), who finds that her emotionally abusive husband (Cranston) suddenly appears to be a different man upon his return from military duty – in more ways than one. This episode cuts to the heart of Philip K. Dick’s core concern – what, truly, defines us as human?

Human Is also stars Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) as General Olin, along with Ruth Bradley (Humans) as Yaro.

Electric Dreams will premiere later this year.

 

Janelle Monae and Juno Temple join Electric Dreams

1st June 2017

Juno Temple and Janelle Monae have become the latest star names to join Channel 4 and Amazon’s Electric Dreams.

The anthology series, which is based on the work of Philip K. Dick, is shaping up to be their answer to Netflix’s Black Mirror, with a collection of 10 stories taken from the sci-fi author and adapted by writers including Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), Michael Dinner (Justified), Tony Grisoni (Red Riding), Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Matthew Graham (Life on Mars), David Farr (The Night Manager), Dee Rees (Mudbound) and Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim).

The show was commissioned by the UK broadcaster, who will air the series in the UK and by Amazon Prime Video for the US.

The talent in front of the camera is just as impressive, including Steve Buscemi, Greg Kinnear, Mireille Enos, Anna Paquin, Terrence Howard, Timothy Spall, Richard Madden and Holliday Grainger. Now, Juno Temple (Vinyl, The Dark Knight Rises) and Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures, Moonlight) have become the latest to join the ensemble.

The duo will star in the episode called Autofac. Despite society and the world as we know it having collapsed, a massive, automatic product-manufacturing factory continues to operate according to the principles of consumerism – humans consume products to be happy, and in order to consume continuously, they must be denied freedom of choice and free will.

Temple will play Emily, one of a group of rebels who decide to shut down the factory. Monae appears as Alexis, an Autofac representative. Jay Paulson (Mad Men) and David Lyons (Revolution) will also appear in the episode. Peter Horton (Grey’s Anatomy) directs the episode written by Beacham (Pacific Rim).

Their casting follows the announcement that Mel Rodriguez (Last Man on Earth) and Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) will also star in another episode called Kill All Others. In that episode, a man hangs dead from a lamppost, apparently murdered and inexplicably ignored by passersby, after a politician (Farmiga) makes a shocking statement encouraging violence. When one man dares to question the situation, he becomes an instant target.

Written and directed by Dee Rees (Bessie, Pariah), Rodriguez co-stars as the extraordinarily average Philbert Noyce, with Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton, Kong: Skull Island) and Glenn Morshower (Aftermath, Supergirl, Bloodline) supporting as Lenny and Ed, his co-workers, as well as Sarah Brown (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, General Hospital) as Philbert’s wife, Maggie.

Electric Dreams will premiere later this year.

 

Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden joins Electric Dreams

19th May 2017

Richard Madden has joined the cast of Amazon and Channel 4’s Electric Dreams.

The sci-fi anthology, which is co-produced by the UK broadcaster and the streaming service, is based on Philip K. Dick short stories.

Game of Thrones’ Robb Stark and Holiday Grainger (The Finest Hours, Cinderella) are the latest big names to sign on to the project. They will star alongside Anneika Rose (Line of Fire, Silent Witness) in stand-alone episode The Hood Maker.

The Hood Maker is set in a world without advanced technology and where mutant telepaths have become humanity’s only mechanism for long distance communication. But their powers have unintended implications and when the public begins to embrace mysterious, telepath-blocking hoods, two detectives with an entangled past are brought in to investigate.
Richard Madden will play Agent Ross, Holiday Grainger plays Honor and Anneika Rose plays Mary.

The episode is written by Matthew Graham (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) and directed by Julian Jarrold (Becoming Jane, Kinky Boots).

 

Anna Paquin and Terrence Howard join Channel 4 and Amazon’s Electric Dreams

3rd May 2017

Channel 4 and Amazon’s Electric Dreams continues to sign big names for its anthology of Philip K. Dick stories.

The sci-fi series, which is co-produced by the UK broadcaster and the streaming service, is based on the author’s renowned short stories.

If the promise of Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Matthew Graham (Life on Mars, Doctor Who), David Farr (The Night Manager), Dee Rees (Mudbound) and Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim) adapting them for the screen wasn’t enough of a thrill, the programme has been unabashedly building one of the most impressive ensembles of acting talent in recent memory. Joining the previously announced Timothy Spall, Benedict Wong, Geraldine Chaplin, Steve Buscemi and Bryan Cranston are now Anna Paquin and Terrence Howard.

The Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning actress and Oscar-nominated actor have signed on to appear in the episode titled Real Life, which is written by Moore and directed by Jeffrey Reiner (The Affair, Fargo, 12 Monkeys)

Paquin plays Sarah, a policewoman living in the future who shares headspace with George, played by Howard, a brilliant game designer, as each pursue violent killers whose plans could have shattering consequences. In a race against time, sharing a bond that no one else can see, they learn the very thing that connects them can also destroy them.

Rounding out the cast of the episode are Rachelle Lefevre (Under The Dome, Twilight), Lara Pulver (Underworld: Blood Wars, Sherlock), Jacob Vargas (Luke Cage, Sons of Anarchy), Sam Witwer (Once Upon A Time, Being Human), and Guy Burnet (Hand of God, Hollyoaks).

Meanwhile, Buscemi will be joined in the episode Crazy Diamond by Sidse Babett Knudsen (Westworld, Inferno), Julia Davis (Nighty Night, Black Mirror, Gavin & Stacy, Love Actually), Joanna Scanlan (No Offence, Bridget Jones’s Baby, Getting On), Lucian Msamati (Taboo, Game of Thrones) and Michael Socha (This is England, The Aliens, Once Upon a Time).

Channel 4 will air the series later this year in the UK and Amazon Prime Video will air the show for US audiences.

 

Timothy Spall joins Channel 4 and Amazon’s Electric Dreams

22nd March 2017

Timothy Spall will star in Channel 4 and Amazon’s Electric Dreams.

The sci-fi anthology series, which spans 10 episodes, is based on Philip K. Dick’s renowned short stories. Spall will star in the first episode to be filmed, The Commuter. He will play Ed Jacobson, an unassuming employee at a train station who is alarmed to discover that a number of daily commuters are taking the train to a town that shouldn’t exist. When he investigates for himself, he comes face to face with an alternate reality that forces him to confront his own struggles around his relationship with his wife Mary (Rebecca Manley – This is England, The Moorside) and his very troubled son, Sam (Anthony Boyle – Harry Potter And The Cursed Child).

Also starring in the episode will be Rudi Dharmalingham (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as fellow train station employee Bob Paine, Tuppence Middleton (War & Peace, Sense8) as the mysterious Linda, Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax) as Martine Jenkins, Ann Akin (Crackanory) as Dr. Simpson, alongside Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake), Tom Brooke, Nicole Agada, Marko Leht, Matthew Raymond and Naveed Khan.

The Commuter is written by Jack Thorne (This is England, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and directed by Tom Harper (War & Peace, Peaky Blinders). They join an impressive list of talent behind the camera, from Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander) and Michael Dinner (Justified) to Matthew Graham (Life on Mars, Doctor Who), David Farr (The Night Manager) and Dee Rees (Mudbound).

The show was commissioned by Channel 4 last year, with Amazon boarding the project as a co-producer last month. It will air in the UK on Channel 4 later this year, with Amazon being the exclusive home of the programme in the US.

 

Amazon shares Channel 4’s Electric Dreams as Philip K. Dick series comes to life

16th February 2017

Amazon has signed up to share Channel 4’s dream of a Philip K. Dick anthology series.

Titled Electric Dreams: The World of Philip K. Dick, the project was first announced last May, when Channel 4 and Sony Pictures Television began work on an ambitious anthology series based on the prolific sci-fi author’s short stories.

The programme is written and executive produced by Emmy-nominated Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander) and Michael Dinner (Justified, Masters of Sex), with Bryan Cranston (Trumbo, Breaking Bad) both executive producing and appearing in the series.

Each episode aims to be “a sharp, thrilling standalone drama adapted and contemporised for global audiences by a creative team of British and American writers”, the broadcaster said at the time.

Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer Jay Hunt said: “Philip K. Dick’s short stories have shaped iconic Hollywood films from Blade Runner to Minority Report. Electric Dreams: The World of Philip K Dick will adapt and modernise his singular vision for a TV audience. We are thrilled to be partnering with the talented team at Sony Pictures Television on an anthology series that brings together global stars of the calibre of Bryan Cranston and Ronald D. Moore.”

It was a co-production between Channel 4 and AMC, not unlike the sci-fi series Humans. However, while Channel 4 was ready to move on with the project, AMC pulled out.

Now, though, the show is ready to move ahead, with Deadline reporting that Amazon has boarded the show as Channel 4’s new US counterpart. The deal has been signed despite Amazon’s surprise cancellation of another Sony series at the end of last year – the period drama Good Girls Revolt. In many ways, though, Electric Dreams is a natural fit for Amazon’s streaming service, which is already home to The Man in the High Castle, based on Dick’s award-winning novel.

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