Is ‘The Leftovers’ The New ‘Lost’? What To Expect From Damon Lindelof's New HBO Series

HBO’s new series “The Leftovers” is set to premiere this Sunday, June 29 and in addition to the intriguing, yet mysterious trailers, the new series has another ace—Damon Lindelof. Despite the mixed reaction to the series finale of “Lost” the series in addition to being a commercial hit, was a critical success. During the sixth and subsequently final season of Lost,” the show averaged over 11 million U.S. viewers per episode, three years after the series finale in 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked “Lost” number 27 on its list of 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time. HBO is most certainly looking for Lindelof to bring his talents to the “The Leftovers.”

Lindelof created and wrote “Lost,” however “The Leftovers” spawned from a preexisting idea. Similar to HBO’s already established smash hit “Game of Thrones,” “The Leftovers” is adapted from a novel written by Tom Perotta. Perotta alongside Lindelof worked together to create the TV show, and have even employed “Friday Night Lights” director Peter Berg to direct the pilot episode premiering this Sunday. So what should fans expect from Lindelof’s new series? “The Leftovers” chronicles life on earth following rapture-like events, which takes some people, while seemingly leaving others behind. In addition the show’s impressive crew, it’s also boasts an remarkable cast including Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, and Ann Dowd.

The show will closely follow the Garvey family, with Theroux as Kevin Garvey, patriarch and chief of police in the family’s suburban community, Brenneman as Laurie Garvey, the once happily married wife of Kevin, who following the “Great Departure” turns to a mysterious cult, referred to as “The Guilty Remnant” for support. “The Guilty Remnant” play large role in the series, serving as a constant reminder of the people lost, claiming themselves to be “Living Reminders of God’s Awesome Power.”

Ann Dowd plays Patti Levin, the leader of the local “Guilty Remnant” chapter, in addition to the cult religious views, their members are mandated to only wear white, smoke incessantly in public, and have taken a vow of silence. Liv Tyler’s character Meg Abott soon becomes the target of the brutal cult. The series pilot will bring the audience inside the real lives of these varying survivors as they desperately attempt to regain a sense of normalcy 3 years after the tragic departure.

As for “The Leftovers” serving as the new “Lost” even Perotta admits there is a connection between the two. In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, both Perotta and Lindelof were asked about the similarities between “The Leftovers” and “Lost,” Perotta revealed that the two shows share a similar theme in a broad sense. “We’re following people who are trying to make sense of something that is profoundly mysterious to them. The big difference, for me, is that this is set in a very recognizable, real world, so if you just turned it on, you’d think you were watching “Friday Night Lights”—which is what we’re using as the other pole of the story. The thing that excited me about “Lost” is that J.J. and Damon created a space where anything could happen, and “The Leftovers” isn’t that, so it makes for a different kind of storytelling. We have an ongoing negotiation about how much can happen in this weird. Is this a realistic story with a supernatural event in the past, or is it the real world breaking down under supernatural pressure? It’s kind of both, and we’re trying to figure out how much storytelling space that permits.”

Check out the most recent trailer for "The Leftovers" and be sure to tune in to the series premiere on Sunday, June 29th at 9 p.m. on HBO!