The Hot Zone | |
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Genre |
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Created by | James V. Hart |
Based on | The Hot Zone byRichard Preston |
Developed by |
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Starring |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 12 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Running time | 44–53 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | National Geographic |
Release | May 27, 2019 (2019-05-27) – November 30, 2021 (2021-11-30) |
The Hot Zone is an American anthology drama television series, based on the 1994 non-fiction book of the same namebyRichard Preston and airing on National Geographic.
The first season, consisting of six episodes, aired from May 27 to 29, 2019, and was intended as a miniseries. Largely set in 1989[clarification needed], it follows U.S. Army scientist Nancy Jaax who is confronted with the possibility of a potentially deadly outbreak of Ebola. Jaax, a veterinary pathologist, first identifies the ebolavirus after it appears in monkeys in a Primate Quarantine Facility in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The season was positively reviewed, and renewed for a second season.[1]
The second season, titled The Hot Zone: Anthrax, focuses on the 2001 anthrax attacks, a week after September 11.[2] The season, also consisting of six episodes, aired from November 28 to 30, 2021.[3]
Season | Title | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
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First aired | Last aired | ||||
1 | – | 6 | May 27, 2019 (2019-05-27) | May 29, 2019 (2019-05-29) | |
2 | Anthrax | 6 | November 28, 2021 (2021-11-28) | November 30, 2021 (2021-11-30) |
No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
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1 | 1 | "Arrival" | Michael Uppendahl | Story by : James V. Hart Teleplay by : James V. Hart & Jeff Vintar & Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson | May 27, 2019 (2019-05-27) | 1WBC01 | 1.38[8] |
In 1980 Africa, a seriously ill French man is flown from his rural estate to a city hospital. Near death, he violently vomits blood on his attending physician, Dr. Shem Musoke. | |||||||
2 | 2 | "Cell H" | Michael Uppendahl | Story by : James V. Hart Teleplay by : Brian Peterson & Jeff Vintar & James V. Hart | May 27, 2019 (2019-05-27) | 1WBC02 | 1.26[8] |
In 1976, Carter and Travis Rhodes make their way to a clinic run by French nuns, who report an outbreak that has killed several villagers. Seeking a local doctor who has moved on to treat sick patients, Carter and Rhodes are stopped by the Zaire military and led to the remains of a village burnt to the ground — along with its residents, including the doctor they sought — to stop the spread of the virus, witnessing a soldier execute an infected survivor. | |||||||
3 | 3 | "Charlie Foxtrot" | Nick Murphy | Story by : James V. Hart Teleplay by : James V. Hart & Kelly Souders | May 28, 2019 (2019-05-28) | 1WBC03 | 1.10[9] |
In 1976, Carter and Rhodes return to the clinic, where they meet NGO worker Melinda and learn one of the French nuns has fallen seriously ill. Rhodes is able to obtain a blood sample from the nun as she dies. Due to the reuse of needles at the clinic caused by supply constraints, Carter and Rhodes realize the spread of the virus is much wider in scope. The surviving nun, showing visible signs of an Ebola infection, provokes a soldier to shoot and kill her. Carter learns from the clinic’s files that a pregnant woman from another village sought care there. Hoping to find a patient who has survived the virus to better understand and treat it, Carter pays a helicopter pilot to ferry the trio to the village. | |||||||
4 | 4 | "Expendable" | Nick Murphy | Brian Peterson & James V. Hart | May 28, 2019 (2019-05-28) | 1WBC04 | 1.00[9] |
In 1976, Carter, Rhodes, and Melinda find that the village’s faith healer has isolated the sick family in their home. Rhodes draws the woman's blood and prepares to leave before Carter reveals that the pilot will not return for three days. | |||||||
5 | 5 | "Quarantine" | Nick Murphy | Story by : James V. Hart Teleplay by : Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson & James V. Hart | May 29, 2019 (2019-05-29) | 1WBC05 | 1.01[10] |
In 1976, Rhodes and Melinda assist the pregnant villager give birth, though they are powerless to do anything but watch as she and most of her family succumb to the infection. | |||||||
6 | 6 | "Hidden" | Michael Uppendahl | Story by : Kelly Souders & Jeff Vintar & James V. Hart Teleplay by : Kelly Souders & Jeff Vintar | May 29, 2019 (2019-05-29) | 1WBC06 | 0.94[10] |
In 1976, the village’s faith healer explains to Carter that the local forests, once teeming with monkeys, have gone quiet. When the faith healer’s infection progresses, he convinces Carter to help spare the region’s population from a much larger outbreak that would spread from his funeral. As a devastated Rhodes and Melinda watch the pregnant woman’s son die from his infection, they are alerted to the faith healer’s burning home by horrified villagers. An incensed Rhodes vows to report Carter. |
No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
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7 | 1 | "Noble Eagle" | Daniel Percival | Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson | November 28, 2021 (2021-11-28) | 2WBG01 | 0.28[11] |
In 1979, a missing air filter in a Soviet Union military research facility allows anthrax to escapeinSverdlovsk, causing an outbreak that is quickly covered up. Fourteen years later, a Russian defector confirms the existence of the outbreak with the preserved heart of a victim. He warns U.S. officials of the possibility of a future outbreak from weaponized anthrax. | |||||||
8 | 2 | "Hell's Chimney" | John Fawcett | Mac Marshall | November 28, 2021 (2021-11-28) | 2WBG02 | 0.23[11] |
On September 11, Ivins leads a chaotic evacuation of USAMRIID after planes strike the World Trade Center. En route to New York, Ryker witnesses American Airlines Flight 77 flying overheard toward the Pentagon. | |||||||
9 | 3 | "Neither Rain Nor Sleet..." | John Fawcett | Cathryn Humphris | November 29, 2021 (2021-11-29) | 2WBG03 | 0.41[12] |
On Oct. 15, 2001, a staffer for Senator Tom Daschle opens an anthrax-laced letter in the Hart Senate Office Building. Several employees at the USPS Brentwood distribution center are also exposed during the letter’s transit. Ryker and FBI special agent Dani Toretti, a criminal profiler, begin working together. Ivins confides his suspicions about Kurz with another colleague offers his expertise in anthrax to the colonel. He conducts more tests on the Daschle letter and claims the anthrax was laced with bentonite, which would link its origin to Iraq. When Ryker and Toretti discover that some victims were infected via still sealed envelopes, they move to shut down the USPS facilities that handled the letters. They also learn that Brentwood employees Thomas Morris and Joseph Curseen have died as a result of their exposure. A second letter laced with anthrax addressed to Senator Patrick Leahy is found. Ryker expresses skepticism at the anthrax’s supposed connection to Iraq or Al-Qaeda. Two more people unconnected to any of the exposure sites die from anthrax, and Ryker learns one of them received a letter that was sorted at Brentwood seconds after the Daschle letter. Recognizing the style of handwriting in the letters as one commonly taught in the U.S. between the 1940s and 1960s, Toretti compiles a profile identifying the likely suspect as a lone wolf American scientist with access to high-security lab environments. She sends it to the email list of the American Society for Microbiology, causing one woman to respond that she knows someone that fits the profile.
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10 | 4 | "Dream Boldly, Live Fully" | Courtney Hunt | Jeff Vintar | November 29, 2021 (2021-11-29) | 2WBG04 | 0.35[12] |
The investigation’s funding and manpower rises in an effort to conclusively prove the link to a foreign adversary. After comparing Ivins’s imaging with that of anthrax spores recovered from Iraq after the first Gulf War, Ryker provides evidence to his superior officer that the spores do not match. The FBI interviews the woman who replied to Toretti’s email, Nancy Haigwood. A college classmate of Ivins at the University of North Carolina, she reports his obsessive and menacing behavior towards her and other members of her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, but the senior FBI agent dismisses her concerns. Meeting with his therapist again, Ivins confides in her about a recent series of out-of-body experiences, which the therapist explains may be a side effect of his medication. At work, he continues sending a former colleague harassing emails, causing her to inform a new colleague of his behavior — which Ivins is alerted to by spyware software he has installed. In New Jersey, Moore finds anthrax spores on the drop box where the letters originated, located near the Kappa Kappa Gamma house at Princeton University. Ryker orders a reprint of the envelopes used in the anthrax letters, hoping to match imperfections in the printing and trace their point of sale, and finds a match that connects the envelope sales to a USPS branch a short drive from USAMRIID and Fort Detrick.
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11 | 5 | "Stentor Roeselii" | Courtney Hunt | Mac Marshall & Jeff Vintar | November 30, 2021 (2021-11-30) | 2WBG05 | 0.30[13] |
In a therapy session, an irate Ivins reveals that the FBI has subpoenaed anthrax samples from USAMRIID. As the Senate votes to send U.S. troops into Iraq, the FBI again expands its anthrax investigative team and demands new leads. At Fort Detrick, Ivins is upbraided by his supervisors for failing to submit his samples properly or on time. During interviews with USAMRIID scientists, Toretti notices the unease in some female employees when speaking about Ivins and searches his email communications, finding his suspicious messages. Ivins’s alarms are raised when a different FBI team led by Eric Sykes carries out a public search of USAMRIID. After learning about Ivins surprising a female colleague and causing a contamination event in the laboratory, Ryker decides they must question Ivins before he has a chance to decontaminate the lab and destroy potential evidence. Ryker’s PTSD from the Pentagon attack is triggered during a heated line of questioning to Ivins. A more confident Ivins passes a polygraph test, casting doubts on his complicity. Sykes presents another possible suspect, virologist Steven Hatfill, and an unconvinced Ryker is reassigned to investigate Hatfill. Sykes and Ryker search Hatfill’s home and storage unit, finding a novel manuscript about a viral outbreak and hand-drawn maps. At the same time, Ivins begins to cover up his own suspicious activity, destroying a sorority code book he had admitted to stealing and rolling back his station wagon’s odometer.
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12 | 6 | "RMR–1029" | Daniel Percival | Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson | November 30, 2021 (2021-11-30) | 2WBG06 | 0.30[13] |
The FBI follows Hatfill’s map to a remote pond, finding only a turtle trap. Ryker is shocked when Ivins shows up at the search site. Though Hatfill is exonerated, he is still harassed by law enforcement. Increasingly unstable, Ivins begins to mix his medications with alcohol. Moore searches Ivins’s trash, connecting the proximity of the Princeton mailbox to the sorority house and discovering a patent for an anthrax vaccine. Ryker theorizes that Ivins sent the letters as a way to require the vaccine to be put into wide use and his contributions to its development be recognized. Ivins is reported by his therapist after making threats toward his USAMRIID colleagues during an outburst at a group therapy session and is involuntarily committed. The FBI executes search warrants at Ivins’s home and at USAMRIID, where Ryker learns that Ivins only submitted four anthrax samples of more than 40 he had in cold storage. Ryker informs Ivins he is likely to be charged with murder and prosecutors may pursue the death penalty. Tests match Ivins’s anthrax sample RMR-1029 to the anthrax used in the letters. With concrete evidence that Ivins attempted to switch the sample to cover his tracks, a warrant for his arrest is issued. Ivins is released from the psychiatric facility and threatens his therapist over the phone, causing her to contact the FBI and reveal the extent of his mental instability, driven by childhood trauma. At his empty home, Ivins begins drinking and discovers a note from his wife. Ryker and Toretti arrive to learn Ivins has committed suicide. An epilogue states that Ivins was never arrested or charged with the anthrax attacks, while Hatfill sued the U.S. government and was formally exonerated.
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On April 18, 2018, it was announced that National Geographic had given a series order to the production. Executive producers were set to include Lynda Obst, Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, Jeff Vintar, and Ridley Scott. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Fox 21 Television Studios, Scott Free Productions, and Lynda Obst Productions.[14][15][16] On August 9, 2018, it was announced that Kelly Souders and Brian Wayne Peterson were joining the series as showrunners, executive producers, and writers.[17][18] On February 8, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on May 27, 2019.[19] In November 2020, National Geographic renewed the series for a second season.[1]
On July 25, 2018, it was announced during the Television Critics Association's annual summer press tour that Julianna Margulies had been cast in the first season's lead role.[20] On September 13, 2018, it was reported that Noah Emmerich, Liam Cunningham, Topher Grace, Paul James, Nick Searcy, Robert Wisdom, and Robert Sean Leonard had joined the cast in starring roles and that James D'Arcy would make a guest starring appearance.[21] On December 6, 2018, it was announced that Grace Gummer would appear in a recurring capacity.[22]
In early 2021, following the announcement of a second season with a different story, Tony Goldwyn,[2] Daniel Dae Kim,[2] Harry Hamlin,[5] Dylan Baker,[5] Ian Colletti[6] Dawn Olivieri,[6] and Denyce Lawton[6] were announced as cast members.
Principal photography for the first season took place from September 13, 2018, to November 16, 2018, in Toronto and was also expected to film in South Africa.[23][20] Exterior photography of the rear loading docks of the "monkey lab" took place at the now-closed Life Savers Factory located at 100 Cumberland Ave, Hamilton, Ontario. Loading docks can be viewed from Burris Street as well as homes in reverse shots. Exterior and interior shots of "Commuter Station" took place at the historic Hamilton Canadian National Railway Station, located at 360 James St N, in Hamilton, Ontario.
On December 20, 2018, a "first look" still image from the series was released featuring Julianna Margulies in character as Dr. Nancy Jaax.[24] On February 8, 2019, a trailer for the series was released.[19]
The show airs on National Geographic.
The series is available to stream internationally with Disney+ through its Star hub, with the second season released in selected territories.[25] The entire series was removed from Disney+ on May 26, 2023, implying it may have been silently cancelled.[26]
Going Viral is a 2019 one-hour documentary companion to the miniseries.[27]
On February 8, 2019, it was announced that National Geographic had greenlit a companion documentary film to premiere alongside the series in May 2019. The film was set to be executive produced by Betsy Forhan and feature interviews with subjects including Richard Preston, Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Dr. Pardis Sabeti, and Dr. Ian Crozier. The production company involved with the film was slated to be National Geographic Studios.[27]
Rotten Tomatoes gave an approval rating of 85%, based on 20 reviews. Its critical consensus reads: "An anxiety-producing dramatization of real-world events, The Hot Zone acts as a sobering reminder of exactly how deadly a disease can be."[28]OnMetacritic, the season had a score of 69 out of 100, based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[29]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2020 | Women's Image Network Awards | Outstanding Actress Made for Television Movie / Mini-Series | Julianna Margulies | Won | [30] |
Outstanding Made for Television Movie | The Hot Zone | Nominated |
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Ebolavirus |
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Marburgvirus |
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Cuevavirus |
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Dianlovirus |
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Striavirus |
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Thamnovirus |
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