The hit series won 15 Primetime Emmy Awards throughout its run
A ‘masterpiece’ book adaptation that scooped 15 Emmy Awards has just found a new UK streaming home. The six-season series is based on a cherished Margaret Atwood novel, which has also accumulated its fair share of literary accolades.
We are, of course, talking about The Handmaid’s Tale, which will be available to stream on Disney Plus from Wednesday (April 8). The show’s Disney debut coincides with its sequel, The Testaments, landing on the platform.
For those who missed the drama during its original run, it is set in a dystopian society where women are considered property of the state. Under the law, women are confined to limited roles, including sexual servitude to repopulate an increasingly infertile world.
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Despite its weighty themes, the 2017 series swiftly cultivated a devoted fanbase. It claimed 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, with cast members frequently earning nominations for prestigious accolades, reports the Mirror.
This should come as little surprise given that the ensemble featured Elisabeth Moss in the lead role of June Osborne. She appeared alongside fellow accomplished actors, including Max Minghella and Madeline Brewer.
Beyond critical success, the drama also garnered overwhelming praise from viewers. Audiences on Rotten Tomatoes awarded the first season an impressive 90% score, though the subsequent five instalments received varying ratings.
Sharing their verdict, one fan said: “Season 1 is perfection. Just how you imagine the book to look and feel.” A second agreed: “An absolute masterpiece in television. This is must-see content. From beautiful cinematography to poignant writing and great acting, this is TV at its finest.”
Someone else chimed in: “Best show I’ve seen since Game of Thrones and one of the most faithful book to TV adaptions I’ve ever seen.” Meanwhile, a fourth viewer enthused: “A disturbing dystopian tale that cuts close to the bone. Atmospheric, complex and brilliantly constructed this is an excellent adaption of Atwood’s classic novel. One of the best shows of 2017.”
And a final viewer raved: “Haunting and vivid indeed. With Elisabeth Moss as lead, this is worth the while. Well, all cast excels in character. Beautifully written and directed, outstanding cinematography. Dystopian world portrayed very convincingly. Very high quality viewing with heaps of intrigue, twists and action in ways you could not imagine.”
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The Testaments will also make its Disney Plus debut tomorrow, with three episodes dropping at once. The show follows June’s daughter Agnes (Chase Infiniti) as she studies as Aunt Lydia’s school for wives.
A synopsis teases: “The series follows young teens Agnes, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders. As they navigate the gilded halls of Aunt Lydia’s elite preparatory school for future wives, a place where obedience is instilled brutally and always with divine justification, their bond becomes the catalyst that will upend their past, their present, and their future.”
The Handmaid’s Tale will be available to stream on Disney+ from April 8
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