(western theme music)
- I guess we have ourselves a reckoning.
- One of the most talked
about shows of the fall season
is almost here, and it's
HBO's "Watchmen" series.
So we're here to tell you guys
everything you need to know about it
right now on "The Ketchup."
"Watchmen" is coming
to HBO on October 20th
from creator Damon Lindelof.
The self-contained nine-episode series
will take place in the same universe,
but 30+ years after the
original source material,
which was a 12-issue DC graphic novel
from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
that debuted in the mid-'80s.
There was, of course,
the 2009 "Watchmen" movie
from Zack Snyder, which
wasn't super well received
by critics with a score
of 64% on the Tomatometer,
but many have said that a single film
is just not the best place for
the genre-defining graphic novel,
so now the story will
continue in series form.
And considering Lindelof
is known for hit shows
like "Lost" and "The Leftovers,"
fans are optimistic.
I mean, as long as it doesn't
end like "Lost" did, right?
- I forgive you.
- Anyway, it already
feels like this series
will have a different feel
from other superhero shows.
I mean, the music is
provided by Mr. Trent Reznor
and Atticus Ross of "The Social Network"
and "Gone Girl."
So, killer soundtrack?
Check.
- Is that a question?
- And anchoring a big impressive cast
are two Oscar-winners:
Regina King and Jeremy Irons.
So King plays Detective Angela
Abar a.k.a. Sister Night
as the show follows the rise
of a white supremacist terrorist group
and the mass police
force hunting them down.
Irons' character, on the other hand,
is a bit more of a secret,
but some theories suggest he's playing
an aged Ozymandias from
the original novels.
- It's only just begun.
- Other cast includes Don
Johnson and Louis Gossett Jr.,
as well as Adelaide Clemens
playing Pirate Jenny,
which is a reference to the
"Tales of the Black Freighter"
comic strip inside "Watchmen."
And then there's Jean Smart,
who plays an FBI agent
who, in a former life, was a
hero known as "Silk Spectre."
Dr. Manhattan will also
be returning to Earth,
but its unclear who's
playing him right now.
And last, but not least,
a new mirror-masked
Rorschach-type character
will be on the scene
in Tim Blake Nelson's Looking Glass.
- I want my lawyer.
- Yeah, we don't have to do that
for terrorists.
- Other details we know
include the lack of an internet
thanks to President Robert Redford.
Yep, you guys heard that right.
As Lindelof explained
at the TCAs in August,
President Nixon of the
"Watchmen" graphic novels
remained in office until his death,
but then-VP Gerald Ford replaced him,
but lost to Redford in 1992,
and the actor-turned-president
remains in power in 2019.
It is worth noting that, unlike
many comic book adaptations these days,
"Watchmen" does not have input
or even the approval of writer Alan Moore.
So the notoriously cranky writer
hasn't been happy with with Hollywood
after projects like "V for Vendetta"
and "The League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen."
But Lindelof is confident
he will make Moore proud.
- There's a guy in my trunk.
- Delightful.
- So, I wanna kick over to you, now.
Are you excited about
"Watchmen" the series
Or just sticking with the movie
and never really budging from that?
And what characters from the original
graphic novel do you hope to see?
Let us know all your thoughts and feelings
in the comments section,
and for more TV and streaming news,
head on over to RottenTomatoes.com.
As always, thank you for
watching "The Ketchup."
I'm Naz Perez and I'll
see you guys next time.
(funky music)
