The Loudest Voice

Did You Know?

• The series includes flashbacks to the 9/11 attacks, the 2008 U.S. presidential election, and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• Gabriel Sherman commented that any dramatization making Megyn Kelly a central character in Ailes's takedown is pure fiction.

Production

In October 2016, Blumhouse Television announced development of a television miniseries adaptation of Gabriel Sherman's book The Loudest Voice in the Room, with Tom McCarthy overseeing the series as executive producer and Sherman and Jennifer Stahl as writers and co-executive producers. In April 2017, Showtime put the series, then titled Secure and Hold: The Last Days of Roger Ailes, into development, with McCarthy also writing alongside John Harrington Bland and Sherman elevated to executive producer. Following Ailes's death in May 2017, the series remained in development. In June 2018, Showtime ordered eight episodes of the now-untitled production, with McCarthy and Sherman co-writing the first episode and Jason Blum, Alex Metcalf, Marci Wiseman, and Jeremy Gold joining as executive producers. Kari Skogland was announced in August 2018 to direct the first two episodes. In October 2018, Russell Crowe and Liza Chasin became additional executive producers, and 3dot Productions joined as a production company. Later that month, the character of Megyn Kelly was cut from the series; the role had not been cast and appeared in only a few scenes. Sherman stated that Megyn Kelly was a peripheral participant in Ailes's downfall, with Gretchen Carlson and her lawyer Nancy Erika Smith driving the events leading to his ouster.

Reception

The Loudest Voice received mixed reviews from critics, with Russell Crowe's performance strongly acclaimed. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 55% approval rating based on 65 reviews, with the critical consensus noting that while finely performed and often fascinating, shallow interpretations undermine what could be a powerful indictment. Metacritic assigned a score of 61 out of 100 based on 29 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews.