''Foundation'' is an American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

television series created by

David S. Goyer David Samuel Goyer (born December 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker, novelist, and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays and stories for several superhero films, including '' Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (1998), t ...

and

Josh Friedman Josh Friedman (born February 14, 1967) is an American screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for his work on the science-fiction action genre, including on the series '' Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'', the film adapt ...

for

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

, based on the '' Foundation'' series of stories by

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...

. It features an

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...

led by

Jared Harris Jared Francis Harris (born 24 August 1961) is a British actor. His roles include Lane Pryce in the drama series ''Mad Men'' (2009–2012), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Seri ...

Lee Pace Lee Grinner Pace (born March 25, 1979) is an American actor. He starred as Thranduil the Elvenking in The Hobbit (film series), ''The Hobbit'' trilogy and as Joe MacMillan in the period drama television series ''Halt and Catch Fire (TV series), ...

, Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey. The series premiered on September 24, 2021. In October 2021, ''Foundation'' was renewed for a second season, which premiered on July 14, 2023. In December 2023, the series was renewed for a third season, which is set to premiere on July 11, 2025.

Plot

In the far future, most of the known galaxy is despotically ruled by the revolving triumvirate of Emperor

Cleon Cleon (; ''Kleon'' ; died 422 BCE) was an Athenian politician and general (''strategos'') during the Peloponnesian War. The son of Cleaenetus, a wealthy tanner, Cleon was among the first prominent Athenian politicians of the 5th century BCE to ...

's clones: Brother Day, a Cleon in his prime; Brother Dusk, a retired and aging Cleon who serves in an advisory role; and Brother Dawn, a young Cleon being trained to succeed Brother Day. This "genetic dynasty" has been surreptitiously administered for 400 years by the regal

Lady Demerzel Demerzel is a fictional character in the 2021 Apple TV+ television series '' Foundation'', an adaptation of the ''Foundation'' series of novels by Isaac Asimov. She is portrayed by Finnish actress Laura Birn. Demerzel is a gynoid, or female-pr ...

, the emperor's

majordomo A majordomo () is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a larg ...

and secretly a unique, ageless

humanoid robot A humanoid robot is a robot resembling the human body in shape. The design may be for functional purposes, such as interacting with human tools and environments and working alongside humans, for experimental purposes, such as the study of bipeda ...

. Young

Gaal Dornick Gaal Dornick is a fictional character in the ''Foundation'' series by Isaac Asimov. Introduced in '' Foundation'' (1951), he is a gifted young mathematician from a remote world who becomes embroiled in the conflict surrounding famed mathematic ...

solves a complex mathematical proof and wins a galaxy-wide contest, devised by famed mathematician and psychology professor

Hari Seldon Hari Seldon is a fictional character in the ''Foundation'' series of novels by Isaac Asimov. In his capacity as mathematics professor at Streeling University on the planet Trantor, Seldon develops psychohistory, an algorithmic science that a ...

to find another mind capable of understanding his work. Arriving on the capital planet

Trantor The ''Foundation'' universe is the future history of humanity's colonization of the galaxy, spanning nearly 25,000 years, created through the gradual fusion of the ''Robot'', '' Galactic Empire'', and '' Foundation'' book series written by America ...

, Gaal is thrust into the center of a conflict between the Cleonic dynasty and Seldon’s schools surrounding the merits of

psychohistory Psychohistory is a social science that analyzes human behavior by combining psychology, history, and other social sciences, while also being an amalgam of psychology, history, and related social sciences and the humanities. Its proponents claim to ...

, an algorithm created by Seldon to predict the events and actions of large masses of people across vast timelines. With Gaal to verify his findings, Seldon explains and publicly forecasts the decay and imminent fall of the empire, which cannot be averted, but the consequences of which may be mitigated by the creation of a Foundation to preserve the collective knowledge and innovations of humanity. The Cleons, known collectively as Empire, are initially dismissive of Seldon, but following the first of a series of predicted catastrophic events leading to the fall, tentatively allow him and his followers to establish the Foundation in exile: on the remote planet

Terminus Terminus may refer to: Ancient Rome *Terminus (god), a Roman deity who protected boundary markers Transport *Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination *Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end des ...

. The series chronicles Empire's subsequent conflicts with the flowering Foundation and its allies over the course of the passing centuries, as well as the characters which bridge the divide between them.

Cast and characters

Main

as Hariton "Hari" Seldon, a

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

and developer of

, an algorithmic science that allows him to predict the future in terms of probabilities *

Brother Day Cleon, commonly referred to by the metonym Empire, is the name of multiple fictional characters in the 2021 Apple TV+ television series '' Foundation''. They are the Genetic Dynasty of clones who rule the Galactic Empire. In the series, the 1 ...

(Cleon I, XII, XIII and XVII), the middle-aged member of a series of genetic clones of Cleon I, who reigns as Emperor of the 12,000-year-old

Galactic Empire Galactic empires are a science fiction setting trope, in which most or all of the habitable planets in the setting's galaxy are ruled by a single centralized political entity. Galactic empires most frequently appear in works in the sub-genre ...

; Pace also portrays Cleon I in his prime. * Lou Llobell as

, Hari's protégée, a self-taught young woman from

Synnax The ''Foundation'' universe is the future history of humanity's colonization of the galaxy, spanning nearly 25,000 years, created through the gradual fusion of the ''Robot'', ''Galactic Empire'', and '' Foundation'' book series written by American ...

, a planet where the pursuit of knowledge is considered heresy. Teyarnie Galea portrays Gaal as a child. * Leah Harvey as

Salvor Hardin Salvor Hardin is a fictional character in the ''Foundation'' series by Isaac Asimov. Introduced in the 1942 short story " Foundation", he is the first mayor of Terminus, the home planet of the Foundation. He defuses a potential political cris ...

, the Warden of Terminus 35 years after Seldon's trial, hero of the Foundation's first crisis and Gaal Dornick's daughter *

Laura Birn Laura Eveliina Birn (born 25 April 1981) is a Finnish film and TV actress. Early life and education Birn was born in Helsinki, Finland. She completed her master's degree from Helsinki Theatre Academy in 2008. Career She is most famous for her ...

Demerzel Demerzel is a fictional character in the 2021 Apple TV+ television series '' Foundation'', an adaptation of the ''Foundation'' series of novels by Isaac Asimov. She is portrayed by Finnish actress Laura Birn. Demerzel is a gynoid, or female-p ...

to the Emperors and one of the last surviving androids from the ancient Robot Wars *

Terrence Mann Terrence Vaughan Mann (born July 1, 1951) is an American actor and baritone singer. He is best known for his appearances on the Broadway stage, which include Lyman in '' Barnum'', The Rum Tum Tugger in ''Cats'', Inspector Javert in ''Les Mi ...

as Brother Dusk (Cleon I, XI, XII and XVI), the eldest member of a series of genetic clones of Cleon I who retired from his duties as Emperor; Mann also portrays an elderly Cleon I. * Cassian Bilton as

Brother Dawn Cleon, commonly referred to by the metonym Empire, is the name of multiple fictional characters in the 2021 Apple TV+ television series '' Foundation''. They are the Genetic Dynasty of clones who rule the Galactic Empire. In the series, the 1 ...

(Cleon I, XIV and XVIII), the youngest member of a series of genetic clones of Cleon I and the successor-in-training of Brother Day. *

Alexander Siddig Siddig el-Fadil (born 21 November 1965) is a British actor and director, known professionally as Alexander Siddig. Siddig is best known for his roles as Dr. Julian Bashir in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', former terrori ...

as Dr. Ebling Mis (season 3), a self-taught psychohistorian and diehard fan of Hari Seldon. Siddig also portrayed Advocate Xylas, the prosecutor in Seldon's trial, in the first season. *

Troy Kotsur Troy Michael Kotsur (; born July 24, 1968) is an American actor. Born deaf, Kotsur made his acting debut in the late 1980s working with the National Theatre of the Deaf. His television debut was in a 2001 episode of ''Strong Medicine''. His film ...

as Preem Palver (season 3), the leader of a planet of psychics.

Recurring

Alfred Enoch Alfred Lewis Enoch (born 2 December 1988) is a British and Brazilian actor. He is best known for playing Dean Thomas (Harry Potter), Dean Thomas in the fantasy film series Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' and List of How to Get Away ...

as Raych Foss (seasons 1–2), the adopted son of Hari Seldon *

Daniel MacPherson Daniel MacPherson is an Australian actor and television presenter, known for his roles as Joel Samuels in ''Neighbours'', PC Cameron Tait in ''The Bill'', Sergeant Samuel Wyatt in Sky and Cinemax's '' Strike Back'', Whit Carmichael in the ...

Hugo Crast The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(seasons 1–2), an interplanetary trader from Thespis who became Salvor Hardin's lover *

Clarke Peters Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American actor, writer, and director, who has spent much of his adult life in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television ...

as Abbas Hardin (season 1), a Seldon follower, the first Warden and first Mayor of Terminus, and surrogate father of Salvor Hardin *

Sasha Behar Sasha Behar is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Maya Sharma in the soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Career Behar portrayed the character of villain Maya Sharma in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2003 to 200 ...

as Mari Hardin (season 1), a Seldon follower and surrogate mother of Salvor Hardin * Elliot Cowan as

Lewis Pirenne The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 1), the Director of the Foundation and first successor of Hari Seldon * Amy Tyger as

Azura Odili The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 1), an Imperial Palace gardener and love interest of Brother Dawn/Cleon XIV * Mido Hamada as Shadow Master Obrecht (season 1), the Imperial spymaster during Cleon XIII's reign * Christian Contreras as Commander Dorwin (season 1), an Imperial soldier sent to investigate loss of contact with Terminus * Cooper Carter as the child Brother Dawn/Cleon XIII (season 1). *

Kubbra Sait Kubbra Sait is an Indian actress, TV host and model who has appeared in the films ''Sultan'', ''Ready'' and ''City Of Life''. She gained widespread recognition for her performance as ''Kukoo'' on the First Season of Netflix original show '' Sac ...

as Grand Huntress

Phara Keaen The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 1), the top military officer of Anacreon who personally leads a raid on Terminus *

Pravessh Rana Pravessh Rana (born 26 February 1983) is an Indian actor, television host, and model. He is most known for having won the Grasim Mr. India, Mr. India title in 2008. Rana participated in the reality television show ''Bigg Boss'' and has hosted ...

as Rowan (season 1), the second to Phara *

Kulvinder Ghir Kulvinder Ghir is a British actor, comedian and writer. He is best known as one of the cast members in the sketch show '' Goodness Gracious Me'' (1998–2015). He is also known for playing Aslam in the Yorkshire-based film '' Rita, Sue and Bob ...

as High Claric

Poly Verisof The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), Brother Constant's superior and companion, who was a child at the dawn of the Foundation *

Oliver Chris Oliver Graham Chris (born 7 November 1978) is an English actor. He has appeared in television series, TV films, and on the stage. His work has included theatrical productions in London's West End and New York City's Broadway. Early life Chris w ...

as Director Sermak (season 2), a leader of the Foundation and Brother Constant's father * Ella-Rae Smith as

Queen Sareth The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), ruler of Cloud Dominion and bride-to-be of Brother Day/Cleon XVII *

Sandra Yi Sencindiver Sandra Yi Sencindiver (born 30 January 1980) is a South Korean-born Danish-American actress, writer, and artistic director. Early life Born in Busan, South Korea, Sencindiver and her twin sister were adopted by an American father and Korean mot ...

as Enjoiner

Rue Corintha The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), Sareth's retainer and advisor *

Ben Daniels Ben Daniels (born 10 June 1964) is an English actor. Initially a stage actor, Daniels was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' Never the Sinner'' (1991), the Evening Standard Award for Best Actor for ''900 Oneonta'' ...

as Bel Riose (season 2), an admired general who was imprisoned for disobeying Empire * Dino Fetscher as

Glawen Curr The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), Riose's husband and second-in-command * Ed Birch as Keeper Yartell (season 2), the guardian of the Empire's memory archives *

Judi Shekoni Judith Iyabo Shekoni is an English actress, television personality and businesswoman. Early life and education Born to a Yoruba people, Yoruba Nigerian father and a British mother of English and Spanish descent, Shekoni is from Gorton, Manches ...

She-Bends-Light The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), a Spacer navigator in Riose's flagship * Isabella Laughland as

Brother Constant The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), a novice claric and traveling "magician" spreading the gospel of Hari Seldon *

Rachel House Rachel Jessica Te Ao Maarama House (born 20 October 1971) is a New Zealand actress and director. She is best known for her roles in the films of Taika Waititi. She has received numerous accolades including an Arts Laureate, NZ Order of Mer ...

Tellem Bond The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), the leader of a community of Mentalics on planet Ignis * Michael Akinsulire as Loron (season 2), a Mentalic and Tellem's enforcer * Dimitri Leonidas as

Hober Mallow Hober Mallow is a fictional character in the ''Foundation'' series by Isaac Asimov. In the 1944 novella " The Big and the Little", he is a Master Trader for the Foundation who pioneers the use of commerce to increase the Foundation's power and ...

(season 2), a roguish trader and con man who plays an important role in Seldon's plan *

Mikael Persbrandt Mikael Åke Persbrandt (; born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the ''Beck'' series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Awar ...

(season 2) and

Pilou Asbæk Johan Philip "Pilou" Asbæk (; born 2 March 1982) is a Danish actor, best known for his role as troubled spin doctor Kasper Juul in the Danish television political drama '' Borgen'', and as Euron Greyjoy in the television series ''Game of Thron ...

(season 3) as The Mule *

Cherry Jones Cherry Jones (born November 21, 1956) is an American actress. She started her career in theater as a founding member of the American Repertory Theater in 1980 before transitioning into film and television. Celebrated for her dynamic roles on st ...

as Foundation Ambassador Quent (season 3) * Synnøve Karlsen as

Bayta Mallow The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 3) *

Cody Fern Cody Fern (born 6 July 1988) is an Australian actor and director. Following his feature debut in '' The Tribes of Palos Verdes'' (2017), he portrayed murder victim David Madson in the FX series '' The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American ...

Toran Mallow The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During hi ...

(season 3) * Brandon P. Bell as

Han Pritcher The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 3) *

Tómas Lemarquis Tómas Lemarquis (born 3 August 1977) is an Icelandic– French actor. Early life Lemarquis was born in Reykjavík, the son of an Icelandic mother and a French father, Gérard Lemarquis, who is a schoolteacher. His most distinguishing physical ...

Magnifico Giganticus The Mule is a fictional character in the Foundation (book series), ''Foundation'' series by Isaac Asimov. First appearing in the 1945 novella "The Mule (novella), The Mule", he is a Mutant (fiction), mutant and telepath who seizes control of t ...

(season 3) * Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing as Song (season 3) * Leo Bill as Mayor Indbur (season 3)

Guest

Reece Shearsmith Reeson Wayne Shearsmith (born 27 August 1969) is a British actor, comedian, writer and magician. He was a member of The League of Gentlemen, with Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson. Jointly with Pemberton, he created, wrote and starr ...

Jerril The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(seasons 1–2), an Imperial agent during Cleon XII's reign *

Chris Jarman Chris Jarman is a British stage and television actor. He is the voice-over for E4's '' Tattoo Fixers''. He is also known for providing the voice of The Mechanic in '' Thunderbirds Are Go''. Jarman played Doctor Dillamond, and understudied the rol ...

as Jarko (seasons 1–2), Gaal Dornick's father * Jade Harrison as Bayla (season 1), Gaal Dornick's mother *

T'Nia Miller T'Nia Miller (born 2 March 1985) is an English actress, known for her appearances in television series including '' Witless'' (2016–2018), '' Years and Years'' (2019), '' Free Rein'' (2019), '' The Haunting of Bly Manor'' (2020), '' Foundation ...

Zephyr Halima Ifa The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 1), a senior priestess of the Luminist faith vying to become its next leader *

Ian McNeice Ian McNeice (born 2 October 1950) is an English film and television actor. On television, he has played government agent Harcourt in the 1985 television series ''Edge of Darkness'', Bert Large in the comedy-drama '' Doc Martin'', the Newsreade ...

as Master Statistician Tivole (season 1), the head of the Emperor's team of mathematicians *

Chipo Chung Chipo Tariro Chung (born 17 August 1977) is a Zimbabwean actress and activist based in London. Early life and education Chung was born as a refugee in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Her given name Chipo means "gift" in the Shona language. She spent h ...

as the voice of the ''Raven'' operating system (season 1) *

Nimrat Kaur Nimrat Kaur (born 13 March 1982) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films and in American television. She began her career as a print model and went on to act in theater. After brief appearances in a few films, Kaur starred in Anurag Kas ...

Yanna Seldon The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), Hari Seldon's deceased life partner *

Holt McCallany Holt McCallany (born Holt Quinn McAloney; September 3, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for portraying FBI Special Agent Bill Tench on the series '' Mindhunter'' (2017–19) and has had leading and supporting roles in various television se ...

Jaegger Fount The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas from 1942 to 1950, and subsequently in three collections, for nearly thirty years the ...

(season 2), a Warden of Terminus *

Rowena King Rowena King is a British stage, film and television actress. Early life and education Rowena King was born in London to Phyllis Ndhlandhla from Soweto, South Africa, and British-born John King, an entrepreneur and designer. She spent her child ...

as Kalle (season 2), a mathematician whose work helped Hari Seldon create his Prime Radiant *

Jesper Christensen Jesper Christensen (; born 16 May 1948) is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has made the transition to English language projects, including '' The Interpreter'' and '' Revelations''. He has also appeared as the mysterious vill ...

as Ducem Barr (season 2), an Imperial loyalist on Siwenna *

Noah Taylor Noah George Taylor (born 4 September 1969) is a British born Australian actor. The accolades he has received include nominations for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Award, and four AACTA Awards. He is best known for his ...

as Hetman (season 2), a bandit on the planet Siwenna *

Fiona O'Shaughnessy Fiona O'Shaughnessy is an Irish film, stage, and television actress. She has appeared in ''Warlock III: The End of Innocence'' (1999), ''Goldfish Memory'' (2003), ''Alexander (2004 film), Alexander'' (2004), ''Until Death'' & ''Nightwatching'' ( ...

as Dr. Tadj (season 2), the provost of the University of Helicon *

Philip Glenister Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor. He is known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series ''Life on Mars'' (2006–2007) and its sequel '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2010). He also played DCI William Bell ...

as Commdor Argo (season 2), ruler of Korell

Episodes

Season 1 (2021)

Season 2 (2023)

Season 3 (2025)

Production

Development

On June 27, 2017, it was reported that

Skydance Television Skydance Media, LLC, also known as Skydance Productions, is an American media production and finance company based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by David Ellison in 2006, the company specializes in films, animation, television, video games ...

was developing a television series adaptation of

's science fiction book series '' Foundation'' with

and

serving as the production's writers. At the time of the report, the production company was in the midst of closing a deal with Asimov's estate for the rights to the book series. On April 10, 2018, it was announced that

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

, through their Worldwide Video Unit, had bought the series and put it into development with the potential for a straight-to-series order. It was further announced that Goyer and Friedman were also expected to serve as executive producers and showrunners. Other executive producers announced included David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Marcy Ross. On August 23, 2018, it was announced that Apple had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. It was also announced that Asimov's daughter, Robyn Asimov, would serve as an

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

. On April 18, 2019, Josh Friedman left as co-writer and co-showrunner. On July 28, 2019, it was announced that Troy Studios in Limerick, Ireland, would host production of the show. According to

Screen Ireland Not to be confused with Northern Ireland Screen. Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, formerly known as Bord Scannán na hÉireann or the Irish Film Board, is Ireland's state development agency for the Irish film, television and animation industry. ...

the series would create more than 500 production jobs at the studio. Asimov's daughter, Robyn Asimov, provides familial assistance to the series. Goyer pitched the series in one sentence: "It's a 1,000-year chess game between Hari Seldon and the Empire, and all the characters in between are the pawns, but some of the pawns over the course of this saga end up becoming kings and queens." On October 7, 2021, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on July 14, 2023.

Writing

In January 2021, Goyer stated "with ''Foundation'' we can tell the story, hopefully, over the course of eighty episodes; eighty hours, as opposed to trying to condense it all into two or three hours for a single film". Goyer said that this format might not succeed, but if it did it would be unique.

and

were set as the production's writers; however, Friedman left as co-writer in April 2019. Goyer also noted that telling a story that took place over 1,000 years was something a film could not accomplish and would have been a harder story to tell in that format.

Casting

and

play

and

, respectively. Lou Llobell stars as

, a mathematical genius from a rural, repressed aquatic planet. Leah Harvey plays

, the protective and intuitive warden of a remote outer planet.

stars as

, the enigmatic android aide to the Emperor of the Galaxy.

stars as Brother Dusk, the eldest living member of the ruling family. Cassian Bilton plays

, the youngest living member of the ruling family and next in line to be Brother Day. New characters Brother Day, Brother Dusk, and Brother Dawn are original characters created for the series. Each is a different-aged clone in the "genetic dynasty" of the Emperor Cleon I: the youngest clone is called Dawn, the middle clone and reigning emperor is called Day, and the emperor emeritus is called Dusk. In a June 2021 trailer,

was announced as part of the cast. For season two, Isabella Laughland was cast as

, along with Sandra Yi Sencindiver, Ella-Rae Smith, Dimitri Leonidas,

, and

. For season three,

and

were cast in the roles of Dr. Ebling Mis, a self-taught psychohistorian, and Preem Palver, the leader of a planet of psychics, respectively. Siddig previously appeared in a season one guest role as a different character. Additional season three series regulars include

(a recast of The Mule),

, Synnøve Karlsen,

, Brandon P. Bell,

, Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing and Leo Bill.

Filming

On March 12, 2020, Apple suspended production of the show in Ireland due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. On October 6, filming was resumed. On January 27, 2021, Goyer announced that after quarantining and receiving special waivers from the government of

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

, cast and crew members were allowed to start filming on the island. Goyer noted some filming was always planned to be conducted in Malta, however, due to new restrictions imposed in London, they moved significant portions of production to Malta. Filming in Malta concluded in February 2021. Filming in

Tuineje Tuineje is a town and a municipality in the southern part of the island of Fuerteventura in the Province of Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. The population is 13,946 (2013),Fuerteventura Fuerteventura () is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, geographically part of Macaronesia, and politically part of Spain. It is located away from the coast of North Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO i ...

(Canary Islands) was already wrapped by March 2021. The production team worked in volcanic landscapes such as the Caldera de los Arrabales and Granja de Pozo Negro. The production team then moved to

Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...

, where filming resumed on March 22, 2021. Filming concluded in April 2021 after 19 months. The second season began filming in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

, on April 11, 2022. The third season began filming in late May 2023 in Prague. Filming was halted on July 14, 2023, due to the

2023 Hollywood labor disputes From May 2 to November 9, 2023, a series of long labor disputes within the Cinema of the United States, film and Television in the United States, television industries of the United States took place, mainly focused on the strikes of the 2023 W ...

. Production on the third season was expected to resume in Prague in February 2024, but was disbanded once again due to budgetary issues. Production resumed in March of 2024 in Prague and

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Reception

Season 1

The first season received some positive reviews, with praise aimed towards its performances (Pace and Harris in particular), epic scale, visual effects and score by

Bear McCreary Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American composer of film, television, and video game scores. His work includes the scores of the television series '' Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', '' Black Sails'', '' ...

. However, the pacing, specifically of the time jumps, use of narration and complexity of plot were often criticized. The review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

reports a 72% approval rating with an average rating of 7.1/10, based on 89 reviews for the first season. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Foundation'' big-budget production and impressive performances are a sight to behold, but it struggles to wrangle the behemoth that is its source material into a fully satisfying series."

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

gave the first season a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 based on 25 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Nick Allen of ''

RogerEbert.com ''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times ...

'' considers ''Foundation'' to be "the type of sci-fi series that truly warrants being called an event", a "grandiose sci-fi with limits". He writes that the show is "huge in numerous senses", praising its world building as "always impressive with its grandeur that's both practical and also created with

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...

-worthy special effects". He also praised

's score as "essential and so effective in making certain story developments seem larger than life". Allen highlighted Lee Pace's performance as "magnetic". He concludes that the show has a potential to "become another landmark series for Apple TV+", and that its best feature actually is that "it's not for everyone" because "it's fairly set in its pacing that favors heady, dense character building" that will favor subscribers "hungry to enter new sci-fi worlds not just for the action". Film reviewer Rob Bricken of ''

Gizmodo ''Gizmodo'' () is a design, technology, science, and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the sub-blogs ''io9'' and ''Earther'', which focus on pop ...

'' was less impressed with the series, suggesting that it could be much better, and stating "Honestly, after most of the second episode, the show and the books are pretty much unrecognizable", as well as that the original source material of ''Foundation'' may not be filmable after all. Judy Berman of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' called the series "gorgeous, expensive, potential-packed but initially quite confusing" and noted "how beautiful every single frame is." ''

The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American Technology journalism, technology news website headquarters, headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City and operated by Vox Media. The website publishes news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, cons ...

''s Chaim Gartenberg and Andrew Webster weighed in at the end of Season 1, with Gartenberg opining "the 'genetic dynasty' of a succession of

's ruling the crumbling empire with an iron fist is the show's highlight, thanks in no small part to Pace's dynamic performances as the cloned Brother Day. And Salvor Hardin's cat-and-mouse game on Terminus with the Anacreons is enjoyable sci-fi fare, too. Meanwhile, the third leg of the story, the prolonged drama of Gaal's shuttling in cryo from place to place as the show hints at her mysterious powers, is... less compelling" and Webster stating that "once all of the initial worldbuilding and discussion of future-predicting math was out of the way in the first few episodes, ''Foundation'' really picked up in a lot of ways. The worldbuilding remains incredible throughout. All of the many cultures and planets have a depth to them that is quite frankly astounding."

Season 2

The second season received more positive reviews from critics, with many agreeing that it was an improvement over its first season, emphasizing the more accessible pacing, better plot, improved interpersonal characterizations and overall satisfaction with the season's payoff. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8/10, based on 26 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "With its complicated bedrock now established, ''Foundation'' spreads its wings in an improved sophomore season that rewards viewers' patience with a brainy sci-fi epic of genuine grandeur." On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 79 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades

Release

On June 22, 2020, as part of its

Worldwide Developers Conference The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is an information technology conference held annually by Apple Inc. The conference is currently held at Apple Park in California. The event is used to showcase new software and technologies in the macO ...

, Apple released a

teaser trailer A teaser trailer, also shortened to teaser, is a short trailer (promotion), trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release film or television show advertisement. Sh ...

for the series. In February 2021, it was reported that the series would premiere in late 2021. In June 2021, Apple announced that ''Foundation'' would premiere in September 2021. Later that month, Apple released a second official trailer and confirmed the premiere date as September 24, 2021. The series premiered with a two-episode release, with the remaining eight episodes scheduled to be released weekly. The second season premiered on July 14, 2023. In December 2023, the series was renewed for a third season, which is set to premiere on July 11, 2025.

Media

A mobile game based on the series titled, ''Foundation: Galactic Frontier'', is in development from

FunPlus FunPlus is a video game developer and publisher headquartered in Switzerland, with operations in China, Portugal and Spain. The company has developed the following mobile games: State of Survival, King of Avalon, Guns of Glory, Stormshot, Misty ...

and Skydance Interactive.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{David S. Goyer 2020s American drama television series 2020s American science fiction television series 2021 American television series debuts American English-language television shows Apple TV+ original programming Foundation universe Nonlinear narrative television series Serial drama television series Space adventure television series Space opera television series Television series about cloning Television series created by David S. Goyer Television series set in the future Television series set on fictional planets Television shows based on American novels Television productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic Television shows filmed in the Republic of Ireland Television shows filmed in the Czech Republic Television shows filmed in Malta Television shows filmed in Spain Television series by Skydance Television