AMC ANNOUNCES ITS NEW DRAMA SERIES “HUMANS”
WILL PREMIERE SUNDAY, JUNE 28TH AT 9:00 P.M. ET/PT
Eight-Part Series Explores a Parallel Present Where Artificially Intelligent Servants Live Among Us
NEW YORK, NY – May 14, 2015 – AMC today announced its new eight-part drama series “Humans” will premiere Sunday, June 28th at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Set in suburban London, “Humans” takes place in a parallel present
where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a Synth – a
highly developed, artificially intelligent servant eerily similar to its
living counterpart. Penned by British writing partners Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley (“Spooks,” Spooks: The Greater Good) and based on the award-winning Swedish sci-fi drama “Real Humans,” the series explores the emotional impact that comes as the lines between humans and machines become increasingly blurred. This bold new series is produced in conjunction with the UK’s Channel 4 and Kudos, the makers of “Utopia” and “Broadchurch.”
“‘Humans’
is a series that is both incredibly entertaining and engaging on a
character level, and a very timely exploration of the kind of impact the
A.I. technology being developed today might have on our everyday
lives,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s executive vice president of programming, production and digital content.
“You don't have to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy this story. As the title
implies, it's very much about the human side of the topic. Sam and
Jonathan's scripts are amazing, and we're thrilled to be working with
the amazing teams at Kudos and Channel 4.”
TODAY
– In Nagasaki, Japan, a hotel staffed primarily by robots will be
opening this summer. These robots won’t just clean your room and pick up
your laundry. They’ll check you in, make your dinner reservations,
mimic human behaviors and speak four languages. TOMORROW – Your
Saturday afternoon errands could result in purchasing a fully functional
robotic domestic helper that will get your kids ready for school or
take care of an ailing parent. Whether that’s a good or bad decision is
the question “Humans” sets out to explore. It’s not about what this
technology is capable of; it’s about the impact that this advanced
technology will have on the human population. Will this new way of
navigating life be detrimental or beneficial to us as a human race? And who will we become when this technology arrives?
At the center of the four concurrent storylines explored throughout “Humans” is the flawed but loving Hawkins family. Joe
Hawkins (Tom Goodman-Hill) makes the decision to invest in the latest
must-have gadget for any busy family – a Synth. His relationship with
his wife Laura (Katherine Parkinson) is becoming increasingly strained
and he believes that the addition of a robotic servant to the household will give them back the time they
so desperately need and help them re-connect both as a couple and as a
family. The Hawkins’ new Synth, Anita (Gemma Chan), is an immediate
hit, and their chaotic house is suddenly transformed into an oasis of
tidy, organized, well-fed contentment. With hesitation, Laura gives in
to the family demand, but soon senses there’s something different about
Anita. There’s something not right.
Others, though, have long since abandoned any scepticism and are embracing their Synths as family members. Widower George
Millican (William Hurt) has formed a close relationship with his
out-of-date Synth, Odi (Will Tudor), whom he treats more like a son than
a piece of machinery. When Odi begins to malfunction, the National
Health Service forcefully upgrades him with a new stern elder-care model
named Vera (Rebecca Front) and George must hide the bond he has with
Odi or risk forfeiting him to the authorities.
Meanwhile, a young man named Leo (Colin Morgan) and his Synth, Max (Ivanno Jeremiah), are desperately searching for someone from Leo's past. But who is it, and why? And why does Max seem to be so unlike other Synths? On
their heels is a mysterious man named Hobb (Danny Webb), who is
determined to uncover a secret before it can destroy humanity as we know
it.
Finally,
D.S. Peter Drummond (Neil Maskell) works for the Special Technologies
Task Force, solving Synth-related disputes to get away from his
frustration over his wife's flawless Synthetic physical therapist. Pete
spends most of his days pushing papers and solving petty incidents, as
Synths rarely, if ever, malfunction, until one day he investigates a
case that defies all possibility.
“Humans” stars William Hurt (A History of Violence, “Damages”) as Dr. George Millican, Katherine Parkinson (“The IT Crowd,” “The Honourable Woman”) as Laura Hawkins, Gemma Chan (“Sherlock,” “Dr. Who”) as Anita, Tom Goodman-Hill (“Mr. Selfridge,” The Imitation Game)
as Joe Hawkins, Lucy Carless (“Code of a Killer”) as Mattie Hawkins,
Colin Morgan (“Merlin,” “The Fall 2”) as Leo, Pixie Davis (“Utopia,”
“The White Queen”) as Sophie Hawkins, Ivanno Jeremiah (“The Hollow
Crown”) as Max, Theo Stevenson (In Bruges, Fred Claus) as Toby Hawkins, Emily Berrington (“24: Live Another Day,” “Sons of Liberty”) as Niska, Neil Maskell (“Utopia”) as D.S. Peter Drummond, Will Tudor (“Game of Thrones”) as Odi, Rebecca Front (“The Thick Of It,” “Just William”), as Vera, Danny Webb (“Dr. Who,” “Being Human”) as Hobb, and Sope Dirisu (“Utopia”) as Fred.
“Humans” is produced by Kudos (“Utopia,” “Broadchurch,” “The Hour”) in association with Matador Films (“Real Humans”). Directed by Sam Donovan (“Utopia”), executive producers are Jane Featherstone (“Broadchurch,” “Utopia,” “The Hour”)
and Derek Wax (“The Hour,” “Occupation,” “Lip Service”) for Kudos, with
Chris Fry (“The Smoke”) producing for Kudos and Henrik Widman and Lars
Lundström for Matador Films. The
series was commissioned for Channel 4 by Piers Wenger, Beth Willis and
Simon Maxwell, and Kristin Jones and Joel Stillerman for AMC.
Distribution will be handled by Endemol Shine International.
About AMC
Whether
commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade, or creating
acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something
deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only
cable network in history ever to win the Emmy® Award for
Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row with “Mad Men,” and six of
the last seven with current back-to-back honoree, “Breaking Bad.” The
network boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history and
the number one show on television among adults 18-49 for the last three
years with “The Walking Dead.” AMC’s original drama series include “Mad
Men,” “The Walking Dead,” “Better Call Saul,” “Hell on Wheels,” “TURN:
Washington’s Spies,” “Halt and Catch Fire,” and the forthcoming
“Humans,” “The Making of The Mob: New York,” “Fear the Walking Dead,”
“Into the Badlands” and “The Night Manager.” AMC also explores authentic
worlds and discussion with original shows like “Talking Dead” and
“Comic Book Men.” AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its
sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is
available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and
mobile. AMC: Something More.
About Channel 4
Channel
4 is a publicly-owned, commercially-funded, not-for-profit public
service broadcaster and has a remit to be innovative, experimental and
distinctive. Its public ownership and not-for-profit status ensure all
profit generated by its commercial activity is directly reinvested back
into the delivery of its public service remit. As a
publisher-broadcaster, Channel 4 is also required to commission UK
content from the independent production sector and currently works with
over 400 creative companies across the UK every year. In addition to the
main Channel 4 service, its portfolio includes: E4, More4, Film4,
4Music, 4seven, Channel4.com and digital service All 4.
About Kudos
Kudos
is one of the UK’s most successful and original producers of popular,
award – winning scripted television, supplying broadcasters domestically
and internationally. Shows include “Spooks,” “Life on Mars,” “Ashes to
Ashes,” “The Hour,” “Utopia” and the critically acclaimed, multi-award
winning “Broadchurch” (written by Chris Chibnall for ITV). Forthcoming
productions include new drama series “River” (BBC One), written and
created by Emmy® award-winning Abi Morgan (“The Hour”), starring Stellan Skarsgard and Capital (BBC One), adapted
by award-winning screenwriter Peter Bowker (“Marvellous”) from the
critically acclaimed bestselling novel by John Lanchester and starring Toby Jones. Kudos is an Endemol Shine Group company.
Penned by writer and creator HS Tak and vividly rendered by artist Amancay Nahuelpan, BOY-1
captures the futuristic journey of a man who discovers he is the
subject of a groundbreaking experiment that spins out of control and
soon threatens the extinction of all mankind. With nations hunting him
as they struggle to maintain order, every move he makes comes with a
thousand repercussions.
It then goes on to explore what could happen if a group of intrepid researchers didn’t listen…
