Perrotta’s Leftovers Coming to HBO

Written by Jon Williams

HBO recently announced that its hit series Game of Thrones has surpassed The Sopranos to rank as the most popular show in their history. At its peak, The Sopranos averaged 18.2 million viewers per episode; Game of Thrones is now averaging 18.4 million. This number comes on the heels of Season 4’s eighth episode, “The Mountain and the Viper,” which affirmed the show’s reputation for compelling, shocking twists. The season finale, which airs this Sunday, could push those already stellar numbers to even greater heights.

Those searching for something to fill the void in their Sunday night TV schedule caused by the absence of Thrones won’t have far to look. Its timeslot will be filled the following week, June 22, with the return of another very popular HBO series. The vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, and humans of Bon Temps will begin to wrap up their story with the premiere of True Blood’s seventh and final season. The week after that, on June 29, True Blood will be followed by the premiere of a brand new series called The Leftovers.

The Leftovers is based on a 2011 novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. Co-created by Damon Lindelof, known for his work on Lost, the series centers on a mysterious event that sees 2% of the world’s population simply vanish. Three years down the line, The Leftovers explores how those who remain have moved on with their lives—and how they haven’t. It will feature such stars as Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, and Liv Tyler; the pilot episode is directed by Peter Berg.

This isn’t Perrotta’s first go-round with having his work adapted. His 1998 novel Election was turned into the big-screen comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, and Little Children became an acclaimed drama that was nominated for three Academy Awards and three Golden Globes in 2007. Perrotta’s most recent book, last year’s Nine Inches, is a collection of short stories sure to satisfy fans of his longer work. Judging from the popularity of those books, The Leftovers seems poised to be HBO’s next breakout hit.