Watchmen trivia: 59 facts about the new HBO series

Watchmen is a new HBO TV series that is based on the popular Alan Moore limited series. It is more of an extension than a straight up adaptation!

So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the TV show everyone is raving about!

Watchmen is an American superhero drama television series
It is inspired by some characters from the DC Comics limited series of the same name created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
The TV show is created and developed by Damon Lindelof for HBO
With Lindelof serving as executive producer and writer
There will be nine episodes in the first season
The series takes place in an alternate contemporary reality in the United States
In this reality superheroes and masked vigilantes were outlawed due to their violent methods
But some of them gather around to start a revolution while others attempt to stop it
According to Lindelof, the TV series will not be a direct adaptation of the original source material
Instead, being “remixed”
Aiming to tell an entirely new story set in the world where the events of the original storyline took place
The series will also showcase different points of view
The only characters from the original storyline confirmed to appear in the series being Doctor Manhattan, the former Silk Spectre, and former hero Ozymandias
The series will also focus on a detective named Angela Abar who becomes a vigilante called Sister Night
The series premiered on October 20, 2019
The series takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma in an alternative reality in 2019
34 years after the comic ends
Robert Redford is the longest-serving President of the United States, having been elected in 1992
After a white supremacy group of Rorschach followers that call themselves “The Seventh Cavalry” (wearing homemade Rorschach masks) commits simultaneous attacks on the houses of police members, the police start wearing masks
On October 1, 2015, it was reported that HBO had entered into preliminary discussions with Zack Snyder
Director of the 2009 Watchmen film, about potentially producing a television series adaptation
HBO later confirmed that the reports were accurate
On June 20, 2017, it was reported that Damon Lindelof was in early talks to develop the potential television series adaptation for HBO
At that time, both parties were said to be in the midst of making a deal
And it was confirmed that Snyder was no longer involved with the production
On September 19, 2017, it was reported that the writers’ room for the series had opened
A day later, it was announced that HBO had officially given the production a pilot order
And also ordered additional backup scripts as well
On January 30, 2018, it was announced that Nicole Kassell would direct and executive produce the pilot, written by Lindelof
On May 22, 2018, Lindelof posted a five-page open letter to fans of the comic book series wherein he revealed that the television series would not be a direct adaptation of the source material or a sequel to it either but instead would depict a new, original story
However, the new story does take place after the original Watchmen
On August 17, 2018, it was announced that HBO had given the production a series order for a first season set to premiere in 2019
On September 20, 2018, it was reported that the score for the series would be composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
On May 23, 2018, it was announced that Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Adelaide Clemens, and Andrew Howard had joined the cast of the pilot
At least one of the actors was expected to have been cast in a potentially recurring role
In June 2018, it was reported that Jeremy Irons, Tom Mison, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Sara Vickers had been cast in the pilot
On August 7, 2018, it was announced that Dylan Schombing, Adelynn Spoon, and Lily Rose Smith had joined the pilot’s cast
In November 2018, it was reported that Jean Smart had been cast in a starring role
And that James Wolk would appear in a recurring capacity
Additionally, it was confirmed that Irons would portray Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias, that Nelson would portray a newly-devised character named Looking Glass
And that Vickers and Mison would join the cast
In January 2019, it was announced that Hong Chau and Dustin Ingram had been cast in recurring roles
In July 2019, it was announced that Robert Redford would come out of retirement and play a fictionalized version of himself who became President of the United States
As of July 17, 2019, it has been revealed that Doctor Manhattan would appear in the series
Principal photography for the pilot commenced on June 1, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia
Throughout the month, filming occurred in additional Georgia cities and towns
Including Macon, Fayetteville, Newnan, Palmetto, Brooks, and Tucker
In October 2018, filming for the remainder of the first season began in Georgia
Filming locations that month included Palmetto, Brookhaven, Peachtree City, Decatur, and the MARTA station in Chamblee
In November 2018, shooting moved to locales such as Palmetto, Chamblee, McDonough, and the West Lake MARTA station
In December 2018, the production was working out of Union City, Newnan, and the Georgia World Congress Center
Watchmen has received critical acclaim
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a 93% “certified fresh” rating
Based on 44 reviews
With an average rating of 8.81/10
The website’s critical consensus reads, “Bold and bristling, Watchmen isn’t always easy viewing, but by adding new layers of cultural context and a host of complex characters it expertly builds on its source material to create an impressive identity of its own”
On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100
Based on 25 critics
Indicating “universal acclaim”