“11/22/63” is a date, and the name of a successful miniseries aired on Hulu. It is based on Stephen King’s novel, which was published under the same title.
Find out more about 11/22/63!
- 11.22.63 is an American science fictionthriller miniseries.
- It was based on the 2011 novel 11/22/63 by Stephen King.
- It consists of eight episodes.
- The series is executive-produced by J. J. Abrams, King, Bridget Carpenter and Bryan Burk.
- It was produced by James Franco.
- James Franco also starred in the main role.
- It premiered on Hulu on February 15, 2016.
- It was received positively by critics.
- The scene where Jake follows the Russian to a JFK campaign speech utilized actual audio from the speech JFK gave that day, in that location. The speech and location was heavily photographed in 1960, and was recreated near perfectly.
- The opening credits changed slightly every week, reflecting Jake’s changes to the time line and/or foreshadowing events in the episode.
- The story that Jake tells Mimi is taken from the films The Godfather, Part 2 (1974) and The Godfather 3 (1990).
- In the first episode Jake (James Franco) makes a reference to Stephen King’s Misery (1990), “I’m his number one fan!”
- During the opening credits of some, but not all episodes, a diagram of a serpant eating its own tail is shown in yellow with a black background. This symbol is known as the ouroboros.
- The ouroboros has several meanings interwoven into it. Foremost is the symbolism of the serpent biting, devouring, or eating its own tail. This symbolizes the cyclic Nature of the Universe: creation out of destruction, Life out of Death.
- In the Stephen King novel which serves as the basis for the TV show, the main character travels back to 1958. In the show the rabbit hole takes him to 1960.
- Another one of the many references to other Stephen King books and movies: one of the stores visible on the Main Street in Lisbon, Maine, is Blue Ribbon Laundry–also the name of the business where Margaret White (mother of Carrie) worked in the novel Carrie.
- Daniel Webber (Lee Harvey Oswald) and Lucy Fry (Marina Oswald) are actually dating in real life.
- The scenes involving the diner were shot in Guelph, Ontario, Canada at the corner of Oliver and Huron Street. A fake diner was constructed there.
- Jonathan Demme was originally going to write, direct and produce a film version of the novel. But he left the project after disputes with Stephen King.
- The May 2015 Google StreetView of 118 Huron St., Guelph, ON, Canada shows the diner set being constructed. (Note that there is no concrete foundation-it’s 2×4 construction on the ground-and pieces for the curved ends of the diner are in the Ryder truck parked on Oliver St.)
- Jake tells Sadie that he was born in 1978 which is the same year James Franco is actually was born in
- In the final episode shooting scene, Jake is walking towards a window on the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository. In the distance Reunion Tower is visible (it was built in 1978). Still, kudos for Filming on-site.
- When Jake Epping walks into the motel in the first episode the Nixon-Kennedy debate is on in the background
- Marks the first collaboration between J.J. Abrams, Stephen King, and Hulu; the second being Castle Rock (2018).
- Bill Turcotte is the most changed character for the series. He is significantly different from the book; his character was much older, and is not involved in the story beyond Halloween 1958. Bill in the series is a storytelling device created by Bridget to ask the questions that Jake (James’s character) asks himself in the book’s internal monologue, as well as asking questions that the audience would ask in terms of plot holes as the story unfolds.
- The “Modoc Motel” in episode 3 is the same motel used in “Schitt’s Creek” for the “Rosebud Motel”. It is located in Orangeville, Ontario Canada.
- The name “George” comes up several times during the series. In the original novel, Jake’s assumed name in the past is George Amberson. In this version he keeps his real first name, probably for simplicity.
- Kevin J. O’Connor (Yellow Card Man) also had a role in Peggy Sue Got Married, another movie in which the protagonist time-travels back to the early 1960s and attempts to fix the course of the future.
- The Hertz logo mentioned earlier above (on top of school book depository) was shown on the small table model of Dallas downtown when Al is telling Jake about George de Mohrenschildt.
- Several outdoor and bar scenes were shot in Ayr, Ontario.
