Back to the future: ‘HELLO TOMORROW!’ launches a stellar retro-futuristic drama series starring Billy Crudup

Preston Barta // Features Editor

Creativity is often seen as breaking new ground and making something unique that hasn’t been done before. But some creativity can come from looking into the rearview to reshape – or, in the case of Lucas Jansen and Amit Bhalla’s new Apple TV+ series, Hello Tomorrow!, reimagine what once was. 

Starring Billy Crudup, Haneefah Wood, Nicholas Podany, Dewshane Williams and Hank Azaria, Hello Tomorrow! takes us back to the 1950s. However, this isn’t the ‘50s that your grandparents remember. It may feature The Flamingos on the radio and fashion styles dressed in bold polka dots and patterns, but cars hover over roads. Clunky robots deliver mail, serve food and walk dogs. Baseball teams play ball with glowing orbs. And people can speak into their self-typing typewriters. What a world, huh? 

That’s just the icing on a cake baked with all kinds of exciting ideas. Think of something that exists somewhere in between The Jetsons and Glengarry Glen Ross. In this retro-future universe, the “delusional” characters are selling real estate on the moon. Maybe it’s a legit operation, and they’re making people’s dreams come true with fresh starts – or perhaps it’s a bunch of hogwash to fill their pockets.

Hello Tomorrow! captures your attention right off the launchpad, sustaining a fever pitch of dramatic intensity with its exploration of how the human spirit can be violated within a work arena. It’s a power-infused gathering of actors, and it features an opening monologue that ranks right there with The Newsroom. 

Q&A

Ahead of the series’ three-episode premiere on Apple TV+ this weekend, Fresh Fiction had the opportunity to (virtually) sit down with the cast and creators of Hello Tomorrow! In the below video chats (about 4-5 minutes each), we discuss the clever inventions, meaningful dialogue and even Crudup’s time in Texas. So enjoy, and catch new episodes each Friday through April 7.

Billy Crudup & Nicholas Podany

Haneefah Wood, Hank Azaria & Dewshane Williams

Lucas Jansen & Amit Bhalla (creators)