The Night Of
An eight-part crime drama based on a British series.
The Night Of is a 2016 American eight-part crime drama miniseries based on the first series of the British series Criminal Justice. It was written by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian, directed by Zaillian and James Marsh, and broadcast on HBO. The series premiered on July 10, 2016, to critical acclaim and received 14 Emmy nominations, winning five, including Outstanding Lead Actor for Riz Ahmed.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Crime drama
- Creator
- Richard Price; Steven Zaillian
- Based on
- Criminal Justice, Peter Moffat
- Director
- Steven Zaillian; James Marsh
- Composer
- Jeff Russo
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Episodes
- 8
Facts from the source article.
Production
On September 19, 2012, HBO ordered a pilot based on Criminal Justice, with James Gandolfini set to star, Richard Price writing, and Steven Zaillian directing. HBO passed on the project on February 19, 2013, but reversed course on May 13, 2013, picking it up as a seven-part limited series. After Gandolfini's death on June 19, 2013, the miniseries moved forward in his honor, and Robert De Niro was set to replace him. On April 21, 2014, John Turturro replaced De Niro due to scheduling conflicts.
On March 11, 2016, the project was announced to premiere in mid-2016 under the title The Night Of. Gandolfini retains a posthumous executive producer credit. In July 2016, Steven Zaillian said a second season was being considered, but the series was designed as a stand-alone piece. In April 2017, Zaillian again commented that he and Richard Price would do a second season if they came up with something they loved.
In August 2017, John Turturro expressed interest in returning for season two, noting that discussions were ongoing. In January 2020, Turturro stated that new episodes were still a possibility, with a couple of ideas to discuss.
Reception
The Night Of received critical acclaim. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, indicating universal acclaim based on 40 reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 94% with an average rating of 8.6/10 based on 88 reviews; the consensus reads, 'The Night Of is a richly crafted, exquisitely performed mystery that will keep viewers enthralled and leave them devastated.' IGN reviewer Jesse Schedeen gave the entire miniseries an 8.9 out of 10, writing that it was distinguished by its amazing cast and pervasive tension.
In the United States, TV ratings grew over the eight-episode run, with daily ratings tripling between the premiere and season finale. The premiere drew 2.1 million viewers, increasing to an average gross audience of 8.2 million viewers on HBO. In the United Kingdom, the first episode drew 468,000 viewers on Sky Atlantic, and the show eventually drew 2.5 million viewers across Sky's On Demand platforms.
More in 2010s American Drama Television Miniseries
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