Good Omens (TV series)
An angel and a demon team up to prevent Armageddon.
Good Omens is a fantasy comedy television series created by Neil Gaiman, based on his and Terry Pratchett's 1990 novel. A co-production between Amazon MGM Studios and BBC Studios, the series was directed by Douglas Mackinnon and stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant. It follows the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley as they navigate the impending Armageddon.
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
Facts from the source article.
Cast and characters
Michael Sheen portrays Aziraphale, an angel who has lived on Earth since creation and once guarded the Garden of Eden, later giving his flaming sword to Adam and Eve. He owns an antiquarian bookshop in London and enjoys haute cuisine. David Tennant plays Crowley, a demon originally called Crawly, who as the Serpent tempted Eve with the apple. Sam Taylor Buck appears as Adam Young, the reluctant Antichrist placed with the Young family. Jon Hamm plays Gabriel, leader of Heaven's forces, a role expanded from the novel. Daniel Mays and Siân Brooke portray Arthur and Deirdre Young, Adam's parents. Ned Dennehy and Ariyon Bakare play the demons Hastur and Ligur. Nick Offerman appears as Thaddeus Dowling, US Ambassador to the UK. Anna Maxwell Martin and later Shelley Conn portray Beelzebub, leader of Hell, a character with no pronouns. Nina Sosanya plays Sister Mary Loquacious and later Nina, a coffee shop owner. Maggie Service appears as Sister Theresa Garrulous and later Maggie, a record shop owner. Doon Mackichan plays the archangel Michael. Frances McDormand narrates as God in series 1, with Tanya Moodie taking over in series 3. Adria Arjona plays Anathema Device, Agnes Nutter's descendant. Miranda Richardson portrays Madame Tracy and later the demon Shax.
Production
Pratchett and Gaiman had long planned a film adaptation, and a television series by Terry Jones and Gavin Scott was reported in 2011 but not realized. After Pratchett's death, Gaiman initially refused to work on the adaptation alone but changed his mind upon receiving a letter from Pratchett urging him to finish it. In January 2017, Amazon Prime Video and the BBC commissioned a television series adaptation, produced in the UK by the BBC. Executive producers included Gaiman, Caroline Skinner, Chris Sussman, Rob Wilkins, and Rod Brown. Production companies involved were BBC Studios, Narrativia, and The Blank Corporation. The series was renewed for a second series in June 2021, consisting of six episodes. Gaiman discussed a third series in July 2023, planned as the final series, though writing was affected by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. The second series is a new story bridging the original novel and a planned sequel, which forms the basis for the third series.
Release
The first series of six episodes was released on Amazon Prime Video on 31 May 2019 and aired weekly on BBC Two from 15 January to 19 February 2020. The second series was released in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video on 28 July 2023. The final episode was released on 13 May 2026. A 3-minute short titled 'Good Omens: Lockdown', featuring voice-only performances by David Tennant and Michael Sheen, was released on YouTube on 1 May 2020, imagining the characters during the COVID-19 pandemic. On 6 October 2018, a panel at New York Comic Con featured creator Neil Gaiman, director Douglas Mackinnon, and cast members, where the first trailer premiered. At SXSW 2019, Amazon Prime hosted a 'Garden of Eden' party in Austin, Texas, with performers, free services, and an early screening of an episode.
Reception
The first series received positive reviews, with an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 7.3/10 based on 98 reviews, and a Metacritic score of 66 out of 100. The second series also received positive reviews, with an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 7.4/10 based on 64 reviews, and a Metacritic score of 68 out of 100. The third series received mixed reviews, with a 63% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 5.1/10 based on 19 reviews, and a Metacritic score of 61 out of 100. An online petition misidentifying the streaming service as Netflix called for the show's cancellation, receiving over 20,000 signatures from people objecting to its irreverent treatment of Satanism and the use of a female voice for God; the petition was later corrected and reposted.
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