Before Joss Whedon become public enemy #1 for comic book movie fans after 2017’s “Justice League,” he was a television wunderkind. “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” remains the popular fantasy TV show of all time. Its spin-off, “Angel,” also had a devoted following, and the cult love for Whedon’s “Firefly” is unparalleled for a show that lasted just nine episodes.
Whedon hasn’t worked in TV since 2009’s short-lived “Dollhouse,” but his ’90s track record should get fans excited for his latest foray on the small screen, “The Nevers.” Set in Victorian-era England, the show follows a group of women with extraordinary abilities who must navigate an already restrictive, classist society as the world’s new underclass. Here’s the official synopsis:
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In the last years of Victoria’s reign, London is beset by the “Touched”: people — mostly women — who suddenly manifest abnormal abilities, some charming, some very disturbing. Among them are Amalia True (Laura Donnelly), a mysterious, quick-fisted widow, and Penance Adair (Ann Skelly), a brilliant young inventor. They are the champions of this new underclass, making a home for the Touched while fighting the forces of… well, pretty much all the forces — to make room for those whom history as we know it has no place.
Alongside Laura Donnelly and Ann Skelly, “The Nevers” boasts a large ensemble of well-known U.K. film and television stars. Olivia Williams, James Norton, Tom Riley, and Ben Chaplin all have large roles. The female-centric plot has lots of women in the recurring cast, including Rochelle Neil, Eleanor Tomlinson, Amy Manson, Elizabeth Berrington, and Kiran Sawar. Denis O’Hare, Pip Torrens, and Nick Frost also star.
HBO has opted to release “The Nevers” on a peculiar schedule due to the long hiatus in production. Six of the show’s ten episodes will release initially, with the remaining four to premiere as 2021 continues.
“The Nevers” started as Whedon’s brainchild, but as of last November, it’s no longer his show. Whedon exited the series at the end of last year, citing exhaustion and stress related to the ongoing global pandemic as reasons. However, he still did write and direct the pilot, directed the second and fifth episodes, and is still listed as an executive producer. Screenwriter and producer Phillipa Goslett took Whedon’s place as showrunner in January.
Has “The Nevers” been touched by Whedon’s magic hand, or will his absence spell doom for this Victorian feminist fantasy? Find out on April 11, when the series premieres on HBO Max.
