Why Apple TV+’s live-action take on Asimov’s ‘Foundation’ books works so well
Apple TV+’s “Foundation” is an epic saga based on Isaac Asimov’s timeless trilogy of the same name. The series has adopted several changes, but there’s one alteration that stands out among the rest.
When revolutionary Dr. Hari Seldon predicts the impending fall of the Empire, he and a band of loyal followers venture to the far reaches of the galaxy to establish The Foundation in an attempt to rebuild and preserve the future of civilization. Enraged by Hari’s claims, the ruling Cleons — a long line of emperor clones — fear their unrivaled reign may be weakening as they’re forced to reckon with the potential reality of losing their powerful legacy forever.
More than a century after the season one finale, tension mounts throughout the galaxy in “Foundation” season two. As the Cleons unravel, a vengeful queen plots to destroy Empire from within. Hari, Gaal and Salvor discover a colony of Mentalics with psionic abilities that threaten to alter psychohistory itself. The Foundation has entered its religious phase, promulgating the Church of Seldon throughout the Outer Reach and inciting the Second Crisis: war with Empire. The monumental adaptation of “Foundation” chronicles the stories of four crucial individuals transcending space and time as they overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity.
Daniel Bibby for ScreenRant:
Foundation is a standout project among Apple TV+’s sci-fi shows. The tale being told required a huge amount of ambition in order for it to be even considered to be adapted from Asimov’s books. Thankfully, the trust in the process has paid off. Now, Apple TV+ hosts one of the most impressive space operas in recent times – not only from a visual perspective, but also in terms of its storyline and general creativity. It has come together so seamlessly that it would be easy to mistake Foundation as a direct translation from book to screen. However, that isn’t the case.
Asimov never shied away from a challenge when writing the Foundation books. Its generational narrative is centuries long, so he had a huge amount of lore to account for when penning his various sequels and prequels. The legendary sci-fi writer did an incredible job in this respect, but the end result would have felt just a little too chaotic and difficult to follow in the context of a TV show. So, Apple TV+ decided early on in the process that Asimov’s Foundation timeline wouldn’t be sacrosanct. Instead, events have been much more fluid compared to the source material.
That being said, the majority of the show’s storylines are still at least based on the original novels. The main difference is the different lengths of time that separate the various twists. The jumping-on point is the same, with Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) establishing his first Foundation for the very same reason as his literary counterpart. After that, all bets are off when trying to predict what big events from the books will pop up in the adaptation. It may seem extreme, but it has ultimately contributed to the show functioning so well as a televised space opera…
Although the show still heavily addresses Asimov’s work, it has taken on a life of its own. The adaptation’s success proves that this was always the correct decision, so Foundation season 3 would be well within its rights to continue along its current trajectory of deviations from and additions to the original saga.
MacDailyNews Note: On December 5, 2023, Apple TV+ announced that its epic saga “Foundation” has been renewed for season three. For its debut we await!
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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