When we envision alien invasions, we usually think about destruction and despair. Arthur C. Clarke’s “Childhood’s End,” a 1953 science-fiction novel, takes a different approach — the invading extra-terrestrials give humanity everything it could ever want, including no more pollution, violence, or working for money. Now Showcase has adapted the novel into a three-part TV miniseries, starring Mike Vogel (Under the Dome) as Ricky and Daisy Betts (Chicago Fire) as Ellie, and it premieres tonight at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT.
Vogel’s character is chosen as the Overlords’ (their human-bestowed name) communications adviser, and he quickly starts serving as their mouthpiece to the citizenry. Fifteen years of alien rule leads to harmony, peace, and cities lying barren as people abscond to a cleaner life in the countryside. At the end of the first episode, things seem to be going well. At least for the time being.
Global News chatted with Vogel and Betts about the show, and why utopia isn’t as great as humanity might think it is.
Global News: This is an addictive watch. Is that one of the reasons you two signed on, after you had read the script?
Mike Vogel: I didn’t read the book until further into the process, but I think for me the real “aha!” moment was … finding out how important Arthur C. Clarke’s book was in the science-fiction world, how a lot of stories were modelled on or adapted from “Childhood’s End.” I was on a flight and it hit me: oh God, I’d better not screw this up.
Daisy Betts: Right after I’d read the first episode, I knew it was going to be a cool story. With that ending, you want to read the next script. It’s going to make the viewer think about a lot of things in life and the afterlife, if there is such a thing. There are huge questions posed, and it’s mysterious and scary, in a mind-boggling kind of way.
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Even though your characters are in this new-found utopia, there’s this overwhelming feeling that something is going to go wrong, and that you can’t trust the Overlords. While you’re supposed to be loving life, you’re constantly in fear.
DB: Yeah, exactly. Even if something or someone gives us everything we want, we’re always suspicious. What do they want in return? That’s the big question. Nothing comes for free. Be careful what you wish for. All these sayings come to life.
Childhood’s End trailer
It’s too good to be true. Everything has been fixed.
MV: That’s the debate we often had on set, and many times since then. It’s one of the grand themes of the show. It’s entirely relatable to things going on in the world right now. You can take away violence, take away sickness, create this utopia, and you start to ask, “Is that good?” Everything comes at a cost, and you pay the piper somewhere. It may not be right away.
DB: It raises another point, too: That one person’s idea of utopia is not the same as another person’s, so how can you possibly find a utopia that everybody is happy with? There will obviously be conflict borne from that, so we’re really just waiting for it.
MV: What I find interesting about this is the book was written in 1953. The scary thing is that you fast-forward 60, 70 years and insert almost the same players into the story and we’re almost at the same place. We’re still dealing with the same things. It’s probably more relevant today than it was then. Everything is happening at a faster pace and more frequently. The whole reason the Overlords come in the first place is because humans have achieved light-speed travel and are about to go explore other galaxies.
They come down and basically say, “That’s enough right there, you’ve screwed your own health up, we’re not letting you go spread your seed.” That should be a mirror for us: how do we deal with what’s happening in our own world?
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MV: He’s a horrible actor. [Laughs] No, no, the reason I joke is because I didn’t realize, when I read the script, all my interaction with him is to a mirror in a hotel room. [Dance plays the head Overlord, and Vogel’s character never actually sees him physically (at first).] When you’re reading, it’s two characters. Then the day before shooting, the director said to me, “You realize it’s just you in the scenes, and Charles won’t actually be there.” That was another one of those “Oh crap” moments. I was worried people would be bored of out their minds.
They piped Charles’ voice through a little speaker, he was offstage. All you have to do is hear him inhale and exhale, and you stand at attention. He has a presence even over a speaker. That was a big get and a huge plus to have him be a part of the project.
The suspense was tough to get through. The first hour was like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
DB: It’s a slow burn, and you don’t know if you want to go around the corner. It’s eerily perfect.
MV: And then you see what’s waiting on the other side of the door … who the Overlords are. You won’t be able to resist tuning in for the second night.
Childhood’s End premieres on Monday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT on Showcase. The miniseries will be shown in a 3-part event on Dec. 14, 15, and 16.
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