At the moment, there does not appear to be much buzz surrounding AMC’s upcoming series Halt and Catch Fire, but perhaps there should be. The show has an intriguing cast which includes Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies), Scoot McNairy (Non-Stop), Mackenzie Davis (That Awkward Moment) and Kerry Bishé (Argo). But more intriguing is the premise: a dramatic thriller set in the early 1980s right in the midst of the PC revolution, where the series’ stars attempt to exploit aspects of IBM’s PC design in order to create their own personal computer. AMC ordered 10 episodes for the first season and this week, the pilot was made available online.
Halt and Catch Fire was created by Chris Cantwell and Chris Rogers and the pilot episode was directed by Juan José Campanella, a man who has plenty of television experience under his belt. Campanella has directed multiple episodes of House M.D., Law and Order: SVU, and Strangers With Candy. Plus, his 2009 film The Secret In Their Eyes won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The Argentine filmmaker has directed two other episodes of Halt and Catch Fire, aside from the pilot, which would seem to suggest that the series is in very good hands.
With Breaking Bad coming to a close last year and Mad Men currently wrapping up the first half of its final season, AMC appears to be scrambling to come up with worthwhile replacements for both shows. Earlier this spring, Turn made its series premiere, but despite airing on the same night as Mad Men, the ratings have been dwindling slowly. Although, the buzz surrounding that show is not nearly as bad as the debacle that was last fall’s Low Winter Sun, which was abruptly cancelled once its lone season reached its conclusion.
And while The Walking Dead has slowly becomes the most watched TV show in basic cable history, surely AMC would feel comfortable knowing that they have a bright future once Mad Men ends its run. Could Cantwell and Rogers’ new series catch fire with critics and audiences alike? You can find out by checking out the pilot at AMC’s official website. If you like it, make sure to tune in on June 1st at 10 p.m. for the premiere of Halt and Catch Fire!
