''Genius'' is an American

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

period drama television series developed by

Noah Pink Noah Pink is a Canadian screenwriter, television producer, and director. He created the television series ''Genius'' for National Geographic, and wrote the screenplay ''Tetris'' for Apple TV+. His low-budget feature novella, Zedcrew, debuted at th ...

and Kenneth Biller which premiered on

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

. The first season, which aired between April and June 2017, followed the life of Albert Einstein, from his early years, through his time as a

patent clerk A patent examiner (or, historically, a patent clerk) is an employee, usually a civil servant with a scientific or engineering background, working at a patent office. Major employers of patent examiners are the European Patent Office (EPO), the Unit ...

, and into his later years as a physicist who developed the theory of relativity; the season is based on the 2007 book '' Einstein: His Life and Universe'' by Walter Isaacson. The second season, which aired between April and June 2018, followed the life and artistry of Pablo Picasso. In April 2018, National Geographic renewed the series for a third season. The season was originally supposed to focus on Mary Shelley but this was moved to development to instead focus on

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

. It aired in March 2021. In December 2020, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which is set to be released on Disney+. The series will follow the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Synopsis

The first season chronicles two periods in the life of Albert Einstein: the first as a patent clerk struggling to gain a teaching position and doctorate, the second as a scientist respected for his development of the theory of relativity. The second season chronicles two periods in the life of Pablo Picasso: the first as a young man first discovering his talent, the second as a celebrated artist struggling with the rise of fascism and the price of fame. The third season chronicles two periods in the life of

: as a young gospel singer impregnated at the age of twelve, and as a rising star who was crowned the "Queen of Soul".

Cast and characters

Season 1

Main

Recurring

Season 2

Main

Recurring

Season 3

Main

Recurring

Season 4

Main

Recurring

Episodes

Season 1: ''Einstein'' (2017)

Season 2: ''Picasso'' (2018)

Season 3: ''Aretha'' (2021)

Production

Development

On April 28, 2016, it was announced that

had given the production a straight-to-series order, its first ever scripted series. The series was set to be based on the biography '' Einstein: His Life and Universe'' by Walter Isaacson and adapted by Noah Pink, who was also expected to co-executive produce. Executive producers were announced to include Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Francie Calfo,

Gigi Pritzker Gigi Pritzker (born July 27, 1962) is an American billionaire and film producer. She is a member of the Pritzker family. Pritzker is co-founder of the film production and financing company Odd Lot Entertainment, producing several films including ...

, Rachel Shane,

Sam Sokolow Sam Sokolow (born July 3, 1969) is an American film and television producer and Chairman of Nice Media Studios, a production company based in Los Angeles, CA. Early life Samuel Wolfe Sokolow was born and raised in Manhattan, New York City in 19 ...

, and

Jeffrey Cooney Jeffrey Cooney was an American television producer and director. He was the co-founder and creative director of EUE/Sokolow Entertainment, which developed the script for the National Geographic television show, ''Genius''. Cooney, along with his ...

. Anna Culp was set to co-produce alongside Melissa Rucker. Ron Howard was expected to direct the first episode of the series. Production companies involved with the series were set to include Imagine TV, Fox 21 TV Studios, OddLot Entertainment and EUE/Sokolow. On April 19, 2017, National Geographic renewed the series for a second season. The subject of the second season was to have been announced during the finale of the first season, but was instead revealed to be Pablo Picasso the day after the finale, when the network and producers did not want to divert attention away from the season finale. The second season premiered on April 24, 2018. On April 18, 2018, National Geographic renewed the series for a third season. The season was initially set to follow the life of writer Mary Shelley. Ken Biller is expected to return as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Also returning are executive producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Francie Calfo, Jeff Cooney, Sam Sokolow, Gigi Pritzker, and Rachel Shane. Anna Culp will return as producer. Returning production companies include Imagine TV, MWM Studios, and EUE/Sokolow. On February 10, 2019, it was announced that the subject of the third season would instead be American singer

, known as "The Queen of Soul". The third season was slated to premiere on May 25, 2020 and air over four consecutive nights, but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and began airing on March 21, 2021. On December 10, 2020, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which is set to follow the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and will be moving to Disney+.

Casting

Season 1

In August 2016, it was announced that Geoffrey Rush and

Johnny Flynn John Patrick Vivian Flynn (born 14 March 1983) is a British actor and singer-songwriter. He has starred as Dylan Witter in the Channel 4 and Netflix television sitcom '' Lovesick'', and portrayed David Bowie in the film '' Stardust''. Flynn i ...

would star in the series as Albert Einstein both as an old man and as a young adult, respectively. Additionally, it was reported that

Emily Watson Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar War ...

would also star in the series and that Michael McElhatton,

Seth Gabel Seth Gabel (born October 3, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for his roles of agent Lincoln Lee on Fox's television series ''Fringe'', Cotton Mather on WGN America's series '' Salem'', and Adrian Moore on the FX series ''Nip/Tuck''. He ...

, Samantha Colley, Richard Topol, and

Vincent Kartheiser Vincent Paul Kartheiser (born May 5, 1979) is an American actor. He played Pete Campbell on the AMC television series ''Mad Men'', for which he received six Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a ...

had joined the cast. In November 2016, it was announced that Shannon Tarbet, Claire Rushbrook, and Robert Lindsay had been cast in recurring roles. On February 2, 2017, it was reported that

T. R. Knight Theodore Raymond Knight (born March 26, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–2009, 2020), which earned him a nomination for the P ...

had been cast in the recurring role of J. Edgar Hoover.

Season 2

On September 6, 2017, it was announced that

Antonio Banderas José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Antonio Ba ...

would star in the second season as Pablo Picasso. On November 2, 2017, it was reported that Alex Rich would co-star in the series sharing the lead role of Picasso. It was further reported that Clémence Poésy,

Robert Sheehan Robert Sheehan (born 7 January 1988) is an Irish actor. He is best known for television roles such as Nathan Young in ''Misfits'', Darren Treacy in '' Love/Hate'', and Klaus Hargreeves in ''The Umbrella Academy,'' as well as film roles such a ...

, Poppy Delevingne,

Aisling Franciosi Aisling Franciosi ( , ; born 6 June 1993) is an Irish actress. She won an AACTA Award for her leading performance in the film '' The Nightingale'' (2018). On television, she is known for her roles in the RTÉ-BBC Two crime drama '' The Fall'' (20 ...

, and

Sebastian Roché Sebastian Roché (born 4 August 1964) is a French-American actor. He is known for his roles as Kurt Mendel in ''Odyssey 5'', Jerry Jacks in '' General Hospital'', Thomas Jerome Newton in ''Fringe'', Balthazar in '' Supernatural'', Mikael in bot ...

also joined the cast and that Samantha Colley, T. R. Knight, Seth Gabel, and Johnny Flynn were returning from season one in new roles.

Season 3

On October 3, 2019, Cynthia Erivo was cast to play

Season 4

In September 2022, the cast was announced, with

Kelvin Harrison Jr. Kelvin Harrison Jr. (born July 23, 1994) is an American actor. He is the recipient of such accolades as a Screen Actors Guild Award and nominations for a British Academy Film Award, Gotham Award, an Independent Spirit Award. He began his caree ...

and

Aaron Pierre Aaron Jordan Pierre (born 17 February 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for League Two club Sutton United and the Grenada national team. He began his career in the academy at Premier League club Fulham, before join ...

set to star as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X respectively, while

Weruche Opia Reanne Weruche Opia () (born 11 April 1987) is a British-Nigerian actress and entrepreneur. She is the founding CEO of the clothing line Jesus Junkie Clothing. She was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for her performance in the B ...

was cast as Coretta Scott King and Jayme Lawson as

Betty Shabazz Betty Shabazz (born Betty Dean Sanders; May 28, 1934/1936 – June 23, 1997), also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was married to Malcolm X. Shabazz grew up in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, where he ...

. In November,

Ron Cephas Jones Ron Cephas Jones (born January 8, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the drama series '' This Is Us'' (2016–2022), which earned him four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning twice for Outstanding Gues ...

, Gary Carr and Hubert Point-Du Jour were added to the main cast for the season, with Lennie James,

LisaGay Hamilton LisaGay Hamilton (born March 25, 1964) is an American actress who has portrayed roles in films, television, and on stage. She is best known for her role as secretary/lawyer Rebecca Washington on the ABC legal drama ''The Practice'' (1997–2003). ...

Ashley Romans Ashley Romans (born December 28, 1992) is an American actress, known for playing Agent 355 in ''Y: The Last Man'', Hermione Granger in '' Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis'', and Tabitha Hutter on ''NOS4A2''. Early life Romans was ...

, Donal Logue and Griffin Matthews joining in recurring roles.

Jalyn Hall Jalyn Emil Hall (born December 23, 2006) is an American actor best known for his role as Dillon James on '' All American'' and was cast as Emmett Till in the 2022 biographical film ''Till''. Early life Hall was born and raised in Atlanta, Georg ...

was cast as a younger Martin Luther King Jr. in December.

Filming

Principal photography for season one took place in mid-2016 in Prague. Filming for season two began in November 2017 in

Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...

and was expected to take place for over five months in various cities around the world, including Barcelona, Paris, and Budapest. Filming for the third season was set to commence in November 2019, for an early-2020 release. In March 2020, the production was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series resumed production on October 1, 2020.

Music

Most of Franklin's music in season three was recorded by Erivo. The producers, however, were unable to obtain the rights to use Franklin's biggest songs, "

Respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...

" and "

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was compo ...

Reception

Critical reception

Season 1

The first season received mostly positive reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 83%, based on 29 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Buoyed by a superb performance from Geoffrey Rush, ''Genius'' is a compelling origin story of one of history's most renowned scientists." On Metacritic, the season had a score of 65 out of 100, based on 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Science columnist Dennis Overbye of '' The New York Times'' described the series as a "tense binge-worthy psychological thriller full of political and romantic melodrama." Overbye further noted that Einstein himself, writing to his sister, wrote, "If everybody lived a life like mine, there would be no need for novels." According to Hillary Busis of ''Vanity Fair'', the film shows, "... Einstein at work ... peers into the über-genius's tumultuous love life (monogamy, he believes, is "not natural") ... his fraught emigration to the United States ...". Busis quotes producer Ron Howard: "When you move past his scientific contributions, Albert's life story—what his youth was like, who his friends were, who his enemies were, his tumultuous love life—is a story people don't know ... I think audiences are going to be riveted as we tell this ambitious and revealing human story behind Einstein's scientific brilliance."

Season 2

The second season received mixed reviews, but garnered praise for its star,

. Rotten Tomatoes gave an approval rating of 59%, based on 17 reviews. Its critical consensus reads: "An impressive performance from Antonio Banderas rescues ''Genius: Picasso'' from condensed melodrama." On Metacritic, the season had a score of 52 out of 100, based on 10 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Season 3

The third season received mainly positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave an approval rating of 73% based on 26 reviews. The critical consensus reads: "Cynthia Erivo captures the spirit of the singular singer with poise and passion - if only ''Aretha''s writing were as strong as her performance." On Metacritic, the season had a score of 67 out of 100, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Reaction from Franklin's family

The family of Aretha Franklin did not react kindly to the season. They claim they were not consulted in any part of the production, despite the crew's insistence that they worked with Franklin's estate.

Accolades

References

External links

*
''Genius'' – official website
* *
Works by Pablo Picasso at Google Images
* {{Disney+ original series 2010s American anthology television series 2010s American documentary television series 2010s American drama television series 2017 American television series debuts American biographical series Aretha Franklin Cultural depictions of Albert Einstein Cultural depictions of Gertrude Stein Cultural depictions of J. Edgar Hoover Cultural depictions of Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural depictions of Mileva Marić Cultural depictions of Pablo Picasso Disney+ original programming English-language television shows National Geographic (American TV channel) original programming Science education television series Television productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series by Imagine Entertainment Television shows filmed in France Television shows filmed in Hungary Television shows filmed in Spain Television shows filmed in the Czech Republic Television shows set in Berlin Television shows set in Italy Television shows set in Switzerland Works about Martin Luther King Jr. Works about Malcolm X Works about Albert Einstein Television shows scored by Hans Zimmer

Synopsis

Cast and characters

Season 1

Main

Recurring

Season 2

Main

Recurring

Season 3

Main

Recurring

Season 4

Main

Recurring

Episodes

Season 1: ''Einstein'' (2017)

Season 2: ''Picasso'' (2018)

Season 3: ''Aretha'' (2021)

Production

Development

Casting

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Filming

Music

Reception

Critical reception

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Reaction from Franklin's family

Accolades

See also

References

External links