Brave New World is a TV adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel, and it lands somewhere between a faithful update and a loose reworking. The series premiered on Peacock on July 15, 2020, the same day the NBCUniversal streaming service launched. It ran one season, nine episodes, and was cancelled in October 2020.
Trailer, via Peacock.
The Utopia Built on Control
The show’s premise is simple: a society has reached peace and stability by banning monogamy, privacy, money, family, and history itself. That prohibition is enforced by a wireless network connected to an artificial intelligence system named Indra. The result is a world where everyone is happy, but no one is free.
John the Savage, played by Alden Ehrenreich, is the series’ outsider. He comes from outside the city and brings a sense of individuality that the collective cannot tolerate. His arrival sets off a chain reaction that puts the entire system in danger.
Jessica Brown Findlay plays Lenina Crowne, a technician at the Hatchery and a patient of Bernard Marx, played by Harry Lloyd. Lloyd’s Bernard is an A+ counselor who questions the rules around him. Kylie Bunbury plays Frannie Crowne, a close friend of Lenina. Hannah John-Kamen plays Wilhelmina “Helm” Watson, and Nina Sosanya plays Mustafa Mond.
The Ensemble Carries the Weight
The cast is the strongest element of the series. Ehrenreich brings a grounded intensity to John that anchors the show’s central conflict. Brown Findlay and Lloyd have strong chemistry as a couple caught between desire and duty. Bunbury anchors the supporting cast as Lenina’s loyal friend.
The show also introduces new characters like CJack60, played by Joseph Morgan, and Henry Foster, played by Sen Mitsuji, who becomes the new Director of Stability. These additions flesh out the collective’s hierarchy without overwhelming the core story.
Execution Stumbles
Where the show stumbles is in execution. The pacing drags across several episodes, and the middle stretch feels padded rather than necessary. The AI system Indra is a clever idea, but it gets less attention than the human relationships it’s meant to govern.
The show also leans heavily on exposition, often explaining the world’s rules through dialogue rather than showing them. This flattens some of the novel’s sharper satirical edges. The adaptation is loose enough to lose some of the book’s specificity while retaining its broad outlines.
A Premature End
Nine episodes is a short run for a show with this much ambition. The cancellation came quickly, and the series ends without a full resolution. That’s frustrating for viewers who wanted closure, but it also leaves the door open for a potential revival.
Whether the setup pays off is now uncertain.
The Bottom Line
Brave New World is a competent adaptation with a talented cast and a strong premise. It doesn’t fully realize that premise, though. The pacing issues and heavy-handed exposition keep it from greatness.
It’s worth watching for the performances and the ideas it raises, even if the execution falls short. The show’s themes about freedom, identity, and the cost of happiness remain relevant.
Key Facts Box
- Premiere: July 15, 2020
- Platform: Peacock
- Seasons: 1, 9 episodes
- Cancelled: October 2020
- Creators: David Wiener, Grant Morrison, Brian Taylor
The show is available to stream on Peacock.
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