The Lazarus Project (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The first trailer was revealed in February 2022.
• In the United States, it premiered on 4 June 2023 on TNT.
• It was subsequently released on Netflix.

Synopsis

George wakes on 1 July 2022 and, six months later, finds himself back on that same date, though no one else notices. After another six-month cycle, he is approached by Archie and recruited into the Lazarus Project, a secret organisation whose members possess a rare mutant gene allowing them to remember time resets. The team uses a black hole to trigger resets back to the most recent 1 July, intervening to prevent apocalyptic events through escalating measures. In mid-2023, George’s girlfriend Sarah is killed by a garbage truck; with no apocalypse requiring a reset, George deliberately instigates a nuclear war between Russia and America to save her. The project lead Wes triggers a reset, and the team averts the war, but must then manage the cascading consequences of George’s selfish act. As 1 July 2024 nears, the team discovers that the Chinese have created a second black hole, which conflicts with the original and plunges the universe into an endless three-week time loop reverting from every 21 July 2024.

Production

Urban Myth Films produced the series, with Marco Kreuzpaintner, Akaash Meeda, and Laura Scrivano directing. Under the working title Extinction, filming for the first series took place in the second quarter of 2021 in Cardiff, Bristol, Prague, and Postoloprty. For the second series, Colin Salmon, Royce Pierreson, Safia Oakley-Green, Lorne MacFayden, Zoe Telford, Sam Troughton, and James Atherton joined the cast; filming locations in Bristol included Old Market, Easton, Bedminster, Fishponds, Henbury, Clifton, and St Paul's.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 100% approval rating based on 14 reviews. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded it four stars out of five, praising the writing, tension, and cast. Nicole Vassell of The Independent gave it three stars, calling the concept bright with satisfying action bursts. The Daily Telegraph also gave it three stars. The series won the Best Special Effects category at the 2022 Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards, and Essiedu was nominated for Best Leading Actor at the 2024 British Academy Television Awards.