Electric Dreams (2017 TV series)

Did You Know?

• The series was greenlit for production by Channel 4 in the UK and Amazon Prime in the United States.
• On Amazon, the episode order is sequenced differently from the UK broadcast.
• Electric Dreams was broadcast on Space in Canada and on the streaming service Stan in Australia.

Production

The science fiction anthology series was originally set to air on both AMC and Channel 4, but after AMC backed out, Channel 4 officially announced the project. In February 2017, Amazon Video secured the rights to broadcast it in the United States. Sony Pictures Television handled production, with Ronald D. Moore, Michael Dinner, and Bryan Cranston as executive producers; Cranston also performed in one episode. The writing team included Moore, Dinner, Tony Grisoni, Jack Thorne, Matthew Graham, David Farr, Dee Rees, and Travis Beacham. Thorne adapted the teleplay for "The Commuter" from the short story of the same name, with Tom Harper directing that episode. In March 2017, Timothy Spall joined the cast of "The Commuter" alongside Anthony Boyle and Tuppence Middleton. The next month, Jack Reynor and Benedict Wong were chosen to lead "Impossible Planet," supported by Geraldine Chaplin and Georgina Campbell. Also in April, Steve Buscemi was cast in "Crazy Diamond," while Greg Kinnear and Mireille Enos signed on for "The Father Thing." On May 3, 2017, Anna Paquin and Terrence Howard were added to "Real Life," with a supporting ensemble that included Rachelle Lefevre, Jacob Vargas, Sam Witwer, Guy Burnet, and Lara Pulver. Later that month, Richard Madden and Holliday Grainger were confirmed for "The Hood Maker," and Vera Farmiga and Mel Rodriguez were tapped to lead "Kill All Others," joined by Jason Mitchell, Glenn Morshower, and Sarah Baker. In the same month, Janelle Monáe and Juno Temple were cast in "Autofac" alongside Jay Paulson and David Lyons. In June 2017, Maura Tierney and Annalise Basso were set to star in "Safe and Sound," and Bryan Cranston was confirmed for the episode "Human Is" with Essie Davis, Liam Cunningham, and Ruth Bradley. Five episodes were shot in England and five in Chicago. The fourth episode, "Crazy Diamond," was filmed at two Kent locations: the Dungeness estate provided exterior settings and driving scenes, while the Cheyne Court wind farm served as the checkpoint Sally passes. Harry Gregson-Williams composed the main title theme and scored one episode; Ólafur Arnalds and Cristobal Tapia de Veer each scored multiple episodes. Brian Transeau and Mark Isham handled the music for "Autofac," and Bear McCreary scored three episodes of the first season.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 72% approval rating from 53 critics, with an average rating of 6.06/10. The site's critical consensus notes that the show's dreamy production values and optimistic tone help compensate for a lack of originality and tonal cohesion, preventing it from feeling like a Black Mirror clone. Metacritic assigned the first season a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.