Afterworld | |
---|---|
Genre |
Drama Science fiction Mystery |
Created by | Brent V. Friedman & Michael DeCourcey |
Developed by | Based on a Concept Developed by Brent V. Friedman & Michael DeCourcey |
Directed by | Stan Rogow |
Starring | see below |
Narrated by | Roark Critchlow |
Theme music composer | Sam Winans |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 1 season: Shown as 13 episodes of 23 minutes each, or split into 130 mini-episodes of 3 minutes each |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
Stan Rogow Brent V. Friedman |
Producer(s) | John Alexander Reed, Adam Sigel and Marlin Davis |
Running time | approx. 3 minutes per episode |
Release | |
Original release | February 28, 2007 |
External links | |
Website |
Afterworld is a computer-animated American science fiction television series created by writer Brent V. Friedman and artist/filmmaker Michael DeCourcey. Its naturalistic future setting, modeled after traditional Western movie motifs, presents an atypical science fiction backdrop for the narrative. Friedman served as executive producer, along with Stan Rogow.
Afterworld premiered in the United States on YouTube and Bud.tv on February 28, 2007 with the production website being launched in May, 2007. The series quickly built a loyal fanbase but did not really take off until August, 2007 when it was 're-released' on MySpace. In conjunction with that release the series was also released in Australia on the Sci Fi Channel, as a mobile podcast, and as a web series on US based Crackle.
The series was also made available by Sony Pictures Television International as 13 half-hour episodes for traditional broadcasters.
After travelling to New York City on a business trip, Russell Shoemaker wakes to find all electronic technology dead and more than 99% of the human race missing. Driven by a need to discover the truth and determined to return to his family, he embarks on a journey to his home in Seattle, while recording and telling all of the events in his journal. Afterworld is the story of Russell's 3,000-mile (4,800 km) trek across a post-apocalyptic America as he encounters the strange new societies rebuilding themselves. Along the way, he also attempts to solve the mystery of what caused this global event, which survivors refer to as "the Fall."
In addition to new forms of government, Russell discovers that technology has failed due to a persistent electromagnetic pulse, a product of a collection of satellites that was activated almost simultaneously to the Fall. An additional side effect of the EMP is the rapid mutation of many forms of life, including Shoemaker himself. He describes that his night vision has improved dramatically, along with his endurance. Other examples are seen in cattle Russell happens across, which are dying of a previously unheard form of necrotizing fasciitis.