Good Omens (TV series)
An angel and a demon team up to avert Armageddon.
Good Omens is a fantasy comedy television series created by Neil Gaiman, adapting the 1990 novel he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett. The show was a joint effort between Amazon MGM Studios and BBC Studios, with Douglas Mackinnon directing and Gaiman acting as showrunner. Its large ensemble cast is led by Michael Sheen and David Tennant, with additional performances from Jon Hamm, Miranda Richardson, Michael McKean, Derek Jacobi, Brian Cox, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Frances McDormand, who voices God and narrates the story.
The first season debuted all its episodes on Amazon Prime Video on 31 May 2019, followed by a weekly broadcast on BBC Two in the UK from 15 January to 19 February 2020. Though initially marketed as a limited series, it was renewed for a second season in June 2021, released on 28 July 2023. A third and final season was announced in December 2023, but following multiple sexual assault allegations against Gaiman, he left the production in October 2024. The fate of the third season remains unconfirmed, with no official details on its format or release date.
Like the novel, the series draws on Christian themes and figures, centering on various characters trying to either bring about or prevent Armageddon, all seen through the eyes of the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley. Critics have generally received the series well, praising Sheen and Tennant’s performances, the show’s faithfulness to its source material, and David Arnold’s musical score. The third season, however, received a mixed response. Arnold earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Music Composition.
The first season follows Crowley (David Tennant) and Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), longtime acquaintances who have grown fond of each other’s company and their comfortable life on Earth as representatives of Heaven and Hell. They have agreed not to let their sides’ conflict ruin their friendship. When Armageddon is announced—the final battle between Heaven and Hell—they join forces to stop the Antichrist’s arrival and preserve the pleasant existence they enjoy on Earth.
The second season begins with the Archangel Gabriel arriving at Aziraphale’s bookshop with no memory. Aziraphale and Crowley try to uncover what happened to Gabriel while hiding him from both Heaven and Hell, who are both desperate to find him.
The main cast includes Michael Sheen as
- first_release
- 31 May 2019 (Amazon Prime Video)
- final_release
- TBD
- number_of_series
- 2 (third series unconfirmed)
- network
- Amazon Prime Video / BBC Two
- creators
- Neil Gaiman
- lead_actors
- Michael Sheen, David Tennant
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Fantasy comedy
- Creator
- Neil Gaiman
- Based On
- Good Omens · Terry Pratchett · Neil Gaiman
- Writer
- Neil Gaiman · John Finnemore · Michael Marshall Smith · Peter Atkins
- Director
- Douglas Mackinnon · Rachel Talalay
- Music
- David Arnold
- Starring
- Michael Sheen / David Tennant / Sam Taylor Buck / Jon Hamm
- Country
- United States · United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Num Series
- 3
- Num Episodes
- 13
- Runtime
- 45–99 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The first series follows the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale, longtime acquaintances who have grown accustomed to each other's company and to a pleasant life on Earth. When told that Armageddon is about to happen, they team up to prevent the coming of the Antichrist and the end of their pleasant existence. The second series concerns the Archangel Gabriel arriving without his memories to Aziraphale's bookshop, with Aziraphale and Crowley attempting to find out what happened to Gabriel and hide him from Heaven and Hell.
Reader's Guide
Good Omens is significant for its faithful adaptation of the beloved novel and for the performances of Michael Sheen and David Tennant as the central duo. The series was initially conceived as a limited series but was renewed for a second series in June 2021, and later for a third and final series in December 2023. After multiple sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman, it was announced in October 2024 that Gaiman would leave the production and the third series would be reduced to a single 90-minute episode, released on 13 May 2026. The series has been well received among critics, with praise for its faithfulness to the source material and David Arnold's musical score, which earned two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. The third series received a mixed response.
Did You Know?
- All episodes of the first series were released on Amazon Prime Video on 31 May 2019.
- The third season was announced in December 2023, but its format and release date have not been officially confirmed.
More in American fantasy comedy television series 1-24
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