Fellow Travelers | |
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Genre | |
Created by | Ron Nyswaner |
Based on | Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon |
Starring |
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Composer | Paul Leonard-Morgan |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Anya Leta |
Cinematography |
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Editors |
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Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Showtime |
Release | October 29 – December 17, 2023 |
Fellow Travelers is an American historical romance political thriller television miniseries based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon. Starring Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey, it centers on the decades-long romance between two men who first meet during the height of McCarthyism in the 1950s. The series premiered on October 29, 2023, on Showtime following an October 27 release on Paramount+ with Showtime. [1]
After a chance encounter in Washington, D.C., in the 1950s, Hawkins Fuller (Bomer) and Timothy Laughlin (Bailey) start a volatile romance that spans "the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, while facing obstacles in the world and in themselves". [2]
No. | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by [5] | Original air date [6] | |
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1 | "You're Wonderful" | Daniel Minahan | Ron Nyswaner | October 29, 2023 | |
In 1950s Washington, Hawkins Fuller is a war hero moving up the ladder at the State Department, flirting with women while enjoying clandestine sex with men and avoiding emotional entanglements. Everything changes when Hawk meets religious Tim Laughlin: they begin an affair that puts them in jeopardy. In 1986, married Hawk receives a mysterious package and decides he must see Tim. Series premiere. | |||||
2 | "Bulletproof" | Daniel Minahan | Dee Johnson | November 5, 2023 | |
When the State Department begins investigations into suspected homosexuals, Hawk distances himself from Tim, who questions his faith. Hawk's colleague Mary comes under suspicion. Journalist Marcus loses his job after a dispute with Roy Cohn but is comforted by drag performer Frankie. Needing cover, Hawk draws closer to Lucy Smith. In 1980s San Francisco, Hawk observes gay life in the AIDS crisis when Tim's sister forbids him to see Tim. | |||||
3 | "Hit Me" | Destiny Ekaragha | Teleplay by : Brandon K. Hines & Jack Solomon Story by : Ron Nyswaner | November 12, 2023 | |
Hawk and Tim go on a road trip that turns sour when Tim realizes Hawk is using the trip to dig up dirt on Senator Smith's enemies. Marcus and Frankie's encounter with a racist bouncer nearly tears them apart. Roy is desperate to keep David from being drafted, and Jean Kerr questions McCarthy's masculinity. In 1980s San Francisco, Tim withholds forgiveness until a medical emergency gives Hawk a chance to prove he's worthy of it. | |||||
4 | "Your Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire" | James Kent | Anya Leta | November 19, 2023 | |
As the government's purge of homosexuals continues, Hawk faces a polygraph test about his sex life and publicly courts Lucy while involving Tim in a desperate plot to destroy McCarthy and Cohn. Marcus makes peace with his attraction to Frankie's feminine persona. David has been drafted, and Roy threatens to destroy the Army. In 1980s San Francisco, Hawk meets Marcus and Frankie's adopted son, and Tim recruits Hawk to help his AIDS activist group. | |||||
5 | "Promise You Won't Write" | James Kent | Katie Rose Rogers & Robbie Rogers | November 26, 2023 | |
Roy Cohn's obsession with David Schine leads to the televised Army–McCarthy hearings and national scandal as McCarthy's allies attack Senator Smith, threatening to expose family secrets. Hawk tries to protect Smith while hiding his secret life from Lucy, although a tragedy brings them closer. Marcus must decide between his love for Frankie and his new job at the Post. Exposed to McCarthy's – and Hawk's – true natures, Tim makes a life-changing decision about his future. | |||||
6 | "Beyond Measure" | Uta Briesewitz | Dee Johnson | December 3, 2023 | |
It's 1968, and Tim's an anti-war protester sought by the FBI. Hawk and Lucy have a settled life, two children and a country house – the perfect spot for Tim to hide. Out of touch for years, Hawk wants Tim back in his life, and Tim – on his way to becoming a priest – can't resist Hawk's charms. Marcus puts aside his career to care for his aged father while denying himself romance. Frankie becomes a counselor for "girls" left behind by society. | |||||
7 | "White Nights" | Destiny Ekaragha | Brandon K. Hines & Ron Nyswaner | December 10, 2023 | |
It's 1979, and Tim, now a social worker in San Francisco, travels to Fire Island where he suspects Hawk is drinking himself to death after a family tragedy. Hawk takes Tim on a tour of "gay paradise", indulging in dancing, drugs and unbridled sex until things take a dark turn. In San Francisco, Marcus and Frankie are drawn into the explosion of gay rage prompted by the verdict in Dan White's murder trial. Hawk's adult daughter, Kimberly, challenges Lucy to share the truth about her marriage. | |||||
8 | "Make It Easy" | Uta Briesewitz | Teleplay by : Anya Leta & Jack Solomon Story by : Ron Nyswaner | December 17, 2023 | |
In 1957, Hawk and Tim reunite at Senator McCarthy's funeral and try, one last time, to find a way to be together, but the pressures of impending fatherhood may force Hawk to commit an act of betrayal. In San Francisco, in 1986, Hawk seeks redemption, seeing Tim through a medical crisis and facing Lucy, who arrives with an ultimatum. Marcus and Frankie are stunned by news concerning their adopted son, Jerome. Tim makes a wrenching decision that will change Hawk's life forever. |
A television adaptation of Mallon's work was in development as a co-production from Fremantle for Showtime as of October 2021. [7] Showtime officially greenlit the series in April 2022, with the screenplay written by Ron Nyswaner who also serves as executive producer. Other executive producers include Daniel Minahan, who is directing the first two episodes. [8]
Alongside the greenlight announcement in April 2022, it was announced Matt Bomer would executive produce the series and star as Hawkins Fuller. [8] Allison Williams joined the cast in June as Lucy Smith. [9] It was announced in July that Jonathan Bailey would star opposite Bomer as Tim Laughlin. [10]
Principal photography began in Toronto on July 27, 2022, and wrapped on December 9, 2022. [8] [11]
Episodes of the series were released on Paramount+ with Showtime two days prior to their debuts on Showtime. [1] [6]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 91% of 65 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.40/10.The website's consensus reads: "A queer romance with the full breadth and depth of an epic, Fellow Travelers is a moving showcase for Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey's captivating on-screen chemistry." [12] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [13]
Fellow Travelers was named among the best TV shows of 2023 by Variety, The Washington Post and The New Yorker. [14] [15] [16]
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Daniel Minahan is an American television and film director and writer.
Ronald L. Nyswaner is an American screenwriter and film director. He has been nominated for numerous awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Jonathan Stuart Bailey is an English actor. Known for his comedic, dramatic, and musical roles on stage and screen, he is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award.
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