Science fiction drama television series
| The Nevers |
|---|
Official poster |
| Genre | |
|---|
| Created by | Joss Whedon |
|---|
| Starring | |
|---|
| Composer | Mark Isham |
|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|
| No. of seasons | 1 |
|---|
| No. of episodes | 1 |
|---|
|
| Executive producers | |
|---|
| Production location | London |
|---|
| Running time | 54–64 minutes |
|---|
| Production companies | |
|---|
| Distributor | HBO |
|---|
|
| Original network | HBO |
|---|
| Original release | April 11, 2021 (2021-04-11) –
present |
|---|
|
| Website |
The Nevers is an American science fiction drama television series created by Joss Whedon for HBO. The series is produced by HBO and Mutant Enemy Productions with executive producers including Whedon, Philippa Goslett, Doug Petrie, Jane Espenson, Ilene S. Landress and Bernadette Caulfield. The series premiered on April 11, 2021.[1]
Premise
The Nevers is described as "an epic science fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world."[2]
Production
Development
On July 13, 2018, it was announced that HBO had given the production a straight-to-series order. Joss Whedon would serve as a writer, director, executive producer and showrunner for the series. The series landed at HBO after a bidding war with other networks and streaming services including Netflix.[2][9][10]
Whedon explained the title at Comic-Con 2018:
They, themselves are not called that [The Nevers] in the show. It's a phrase that's meant to evoke a sort of reaction to their oddity, to what is considered unnatural. The idea that you should never be like this, you should never have existed. Something is not the way it should be, and you don't have the right to have whatever weird power or ability that you have. And that idea, that some people are not of the natural order, is fascinating to me. I don't agree with it. But to me, it's one of those things where you take something negative, and you wear it as a badge of honor, basically. Certain things could never happen - they're happening. And the people they're happening to are taking their place in the world.[11]
Crew
Executive producers include Bernadette Caulfield, Jane Espenson, and Doug Petrie. Espenson and Petrie, who worked with Whedon on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will also serve as writers.[12] Laurie Penny is also part of the series' writing staff.[13] Gemma Jackson serves as production designer.[14]
Filming
On July 4, 2019, Whedon announced that principal photography had started, with filming occurring in London.[12][15] In July 2019, it was reported that scenes had been filmed at Trinity Church Square,[16] and in the New Wimbledon Theatre area.[17] In August 2019, scenes were filmed at Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent.[18]
In late January 2020, shooting took place at Joyce Grove, a country house estate in the Jacobean style. The building will double as The Orphanage.[19] Due to the lack of studio space in London, HBO worked with Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission to find warehouse spaces and old industrial spaces they could base the production in.[20] The series completed production on five of its ten-episode order before production was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] Filming resumed in September and production was completed by the end of October.[22]
In February 2021, HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys confirmed that the first season would consist of 10 episodes that will be broken in two parts–six and four episodes–due to production shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bloys stated, "And there was kind of a natural narrative break at six. So that was the thought then was to air six episodes. So at least we had something to put out there for subscribers and fans." Bloys also said that Goslett and her team of writers are working through the second batch of scripts now and "we'll get a better sense of timing" when those will air as "the weeks go on."[23]
Whedon's departure
On November 25, 2020, Whedon announced that he was stepping down from the series citing various reasons for his decision in "this year of unprecedented challenges." In a statement released he explained that the taxing nature of working on such a project during the global coronavirus pandemic had taken a toll on his energy levels, as he confirmed that he would be officially exiting the series.[24] On January 28, 2021, British screenwriter Philippa Goslett was announced as the new showrunner.[25]
In response to the accusations of workplace harassment against Whedon on his prior projects, Bloys stated that "we had no complaints or no reports of inappropriate behavior" regarding his work on The Nevers.[23] Nevertheless, Whedon's involvement was not acknowledged in the marketing of the series.[26][27]
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 51% based on reviews from 39 critics, with an average rating of 5.88/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Despite strong performances and stellar production design, The Nevers struggles to stitch its slew of intriguing components into a solid show."[28] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 58 out of 100 based on 24 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[29]
In a positive review by Lorraine Ali from the Los Angeles Times, she wrote, "The Nevers is a joy to watch and a thrill to follow. Supernatural realism, complex storytelling, fantastical powers and topical realties meet in this smart, suspenseful and colorful production. A litany of nuanced characters keeps this otherworldly tale grounded. Suspenseful sleuthing and action-packed battles move the story along at a rapid clip. And all the lush scenery and ambitious wardrobe along the way".[30] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter gave it a more mixed review, writing that the series is "in desperate need of focus, and as episodes progress, more and more characters are added and the connection to the richest thematic throughline becomes increasingly tenuous". However, Fienberg praised Whedon's directing, as well as the production design and costumes.[31]
Ratings
