NBC has announced that is partnering with Sky TV to co-produce hourlong dramedy Apocalypse starring Rob Lowe, Megan Mullally, Jenna Fischer and Matthew Baynton. Production on the 10 episode season will begin later this month.
Apocalypse is a bold, adrenaline-fueled series about the last days of mankind. Set against a backdrop of apocalyptic chaos, the story follows an extended family whose lives start to intersect in the most unexpected ways. Their renewed connections are triggered by the news that a comet is on an unavoidable collision course toward Earth.
Characters include a foul-mouthed priest, an unhinged white supremacist, a mild-mannered bank manager, a germ-phobic cyber-terrorist, a five-star general and a child who (possibly) rose from the dead. Some of them are destined to make it to a bunker deep beneath the ground, and as a result will become the unlikely (and frankly, somewhat unsuitable) future of mankind.
The series also stars Paterson Joseph and Joel Fry.
"This is an out-of-the-box and wholly original project that offers just the right combination of both high drama and humor," said Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment. "With a stellar cast that includes Rob Lowe, Megan Mullally, Jenna Fischer and Matthew Baynton - all four who know how to expertly balance those lines - we're ready to dive into the Apocalypse."
Iain Hollands created the dramedy and serves as lead writer, with Michael Engler set to direct the first two episodes. Commissioned by Sky 1 Director Adam MacDonald, Sky's Head of Drama Anne Mensah and Commissioning Editor Cameron Roach, the series is produced by Working Title TV and Bigballs Films.
The executive producers are Juliette Howell, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Lynn Horsford for Working Title TV, Andrew Conrad for Bigballs Films, and Cameron Roach and Lizzie Gray for Sky. The series will be produced by Polly Buckle, Nick Pitt and Susie Liggat.