By Josh Nason
One of the biggest reasons this very website exists is to tell the tales of shows long past that many people may have forgotten about or have never seen at all. In the TV content onslaught we find ourselves in, let us never forget the diamonds that were once mined before.
That analogy doesn’t make a lot of sense, but this is all to say that I want to shine up a great TV diamond: Station Eleven on HBO Max — the first N’Ace Award winner on this here website.
Should You Watch Station Eleven? | HBO Max
How many seasons?
One.
How many episodes?
Ten.
What type of show is it?
Post-apocalyptic drama.
What year(s)?
2021 (the fact it came during the latter part of the pandemic is just…yeah)
Where can I currently find it?
HBO Max
Who is it for?
Those who enjoy great storytelling, some heart string pulling, and post-apocalyptic tales.
What’s the commit level?
It’s 516 total minutes so 8.6 total hours and you can save about 20 minutes if you skip the credits. The added episode recaps are worth the watch and those add a few minutes, but it’s all worth it.
Is there a bailout episode?
The first one.
Any interesting background in the show’s creation?
The show is based on a 2014 book of the same name (I have never read it) which was acquired by HBO in February 2015, so it was a hot property. It took four years to green light and away they went.
It also debuted on the Max streaming service primarily and not HBO which is about as confusing as it sounds. If there ever was an HBO-worthy prestige show, it’s this one.
Are there actors the average TV watcher would recognize?
Lori Petty and David Cross, but they are supporting actors.
What’s the reaction been?
Quite positive to say the least. It’s got an 81 on Metacritic which earns them their Universal Acclaim badge and a 98/75 split on Rotten Tomatoes. It garnered a slew of various award nominations including three Emmy awards, but only won a few non-major trophies.
What’s the main plot in a sentence?
People try to survive and find hope in a post-apocalyptic world.
What’s the rewatchability factor?
Low, but this is one I would like to go back to this at some point.
If you like these shows, you’ll like this one?
Paradise, Lost, Westworld, The Last of Us
Is this a first or second screen show?
First. Throw your phone away while this is on (well, maybe put it in a drawer).
Should you watch Station Eleven?
Unequivocally, f**k yes.
I don’t get into director/producer talk that often because it can sometimes come off as too highbrow/film school sounding, but one name that I always associated with great shit is the Emmy award winning Hiro Murai who is in his early 40s and has already worked on future N’Ace Award winners in Atlanta and Barry in addition to The Bear and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. He’s also worked with a ton of music acts from Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) to Usher to Bloc Party to The Fray to Chance The Rapper and, again, he’s only in his early 40s. He’s a magnet for greatness and he’s found it again here.
Station Eleven isn’t a musical act, but it makes a lot of noise in its own way. While I’m sure you’ve seen dystopian, post-apocalyptic movies or TV before, Station Eleven is much, much different and well worth your time.
