(courtesy IMDb)
SNAPSHOT
Host and Loki star Tom Hiddleston and Loki executive producer Kevin R. Wright reunite for the series, a fusion of cinematic scripted drama and investigative documentary storytelling that transports audiences to ancient Rome in the hours before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Guided by a team of archaeologists, historians, geologists and disaster experts, he uncovers remarkable evidence — and the stories of real people that challenge long-held assumptions about Pompeii and its final hours — not least revealing that many of those caught up in the disaster had the chance to survive.With a twist of his hand, Golden GlobeⓇ and Olivier-winning Hiddleston (“The Night Manager”) journeys back in time, stepping into cinematic scripted sequences following the lives of real Romans caught in Vesuvius’ path.
Following a teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman and a mysterious Praetorian Guard, he pieces together how each confronted impossible choices as disaster loomed. As the volcano awakens and the countdown to catastrophe begins, the evidence converges in a gripping race against time to uncover who survived, who perished, and what determined their fate. (courtesy Disney+)
Pompeii is definitely one of the most fascinating highwater marks of ancient history.
Countless documentaries have examined how it fell afoul of nature’s fury, and the amazing discoveries it continues to serve up two millennia later, and while I sometimes feel as if I have reached a peak Pompeii documentary state and can’t take another look at what happened in 79 A.D., a new doco comes along that convinces me it may be worth tuning in to just one more.
And when the host is this enthusiastic, how can you refuse?
‘The ancient world has compelled my imagination and curiosity for as long as I can remember: I’ve been fascinated by it all my life,’ said Hiddleston. ‘Classical Antiquity is the foundation and cornerstone of Western and European culture. To visit Pompeii is to feel the distance of the 2,000 years between now and then compress. The past becomes the present; the past feels so close. Tangible, honest and real. Our relationship with the past is alive — studying who we were in order to understand who we are. Pompeii is a gateway for that conversation. It’s a privilege to host this visually immersive and dynamic series. Pompeii is often remembered for how its story ended. But by looking closer, we can uncover the details of people’s lives, the choices they made, and the moments that came before the city was buried. To revisit the final hours of those ordinary people, caught in an extraordinary moment, and to help bring these remarkable human stories back into the light, is a genuine honor [sic].’ (Disney+)
There’s so much still being discovered about Pompeii and its sister city under lava, Herculaneum, and it’ll be interesting to see what riches this new series brings forth.
Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston premieres it’s three-episode run on Disney+ on 23 July.