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AppleTV+ is set to premiere its latest miniseries Five Days at Memorial, an American crime drama that explores the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on the Memorial Medical Center.
Based on the nonfiction novel written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Sheri Fink, the limited series takes an unfiltered look at the decisions taken by doctors at a New Orleans hospital, who are dangerously overwhelmed by the conditions of the hard-hitting storm.
With electrical power gone, unprepared evacuation plans, and a surge of critically patients seeking refuge within the hospital walls, the medical staff are required to make calculated choices with legal consequences that will follow them years after Hurricane Katrina.
Check out what to expect from Five Days at Memorial.
Watch the Official Trailer for Five Days at Memorial
The trailer for Five Days at Memorial was released by Apple TV+ on July 13, 2022. The video opens with what looks like no ordinary thunderstorm. Hurling winds, shattered glass, and buildings destroyed, Hurricane Katrina shows no mercy to the people of New Orleans. Ocean waves rise to monstrous lengths and engulf whatever it comes to contact with, from massive electro poles to two-story houses.
The trailer switches to Memorial Medical Center, suffering from the harsh conditions of Hurricane Katrina. Water rushing through the corridors, doctors, and nurses working without electricity, and of course, the alarming number of patients that require urgent medical assistance despite limited resources. Under these merciless conditions, the employees at the medical center are left to their own devices and must make questionable choices amidst the storm’s aftermath.
What Is Five Days at Memorial About?
Five Days at Memorial explores the difficult choices the employees at Memorial Medical Center have to make and the unimaginable lengths they have to go through following the heart-wrenching aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The medical drama television miniseries is adapted from Fink’s 2013 book Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital.
The non-fiction book, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, details the exhausted medical staff as thousands of people evacuate to the hospital looking for shelter. At the same time, critically ill patients begin to fill the hospital rooms, and it was alleged that some of them were euthanized before their evacuation on the fifth day of the crisis.
The decisions made by these employees are followed by legal and political consequences that continue to be part of their lives post-Katrina. Five Days at Memorial also sparks up a debate regarding euthanasia and its healthcare usage specifically in disaster scenarios.
When Is Five Days at Memorial Releasing?
Five Days at Memorial is set for a global premiere on Apple TV+ starting August 12, 2022.
How Many Episodes Does Five Days at Memorial Have?
The miniseries has a total of eight episodes. The first three episodes will be released on the show's initial launch date. This is followed by one new episode launched every Friday through September 16, 2022.
Who Is in the Cast of Five Days at Memorial?
Vera Farmiga plays Dr. Anna Pou, the central character of Five Days at Memorial. Dr. Pou is one of the physicians at Memorial Medical Center in Uptown New Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina trapped thousands of civilians in hospital Dr. Pou is forced to make difficult decisions for the sake of the patients’ well-being. Farmiga is a familiar face in Hollywood, appearing in The Conjuring film series and Bates Motel.
Joining the cast is Adepero Oduye playing Karen Wynn, the hospital’s I.C.U. Nurse Manager, and Cornelius Smith Jr. as Dr. Bryant King, an internist. Julie Ann Emery makes an appearance as Diane Robichaux, a LifeCare Assistant Administrator, and Incident Commander, while Cherry Jones plays Susan Mulderick, Nursing Director and “Emergency-Incident Commander” for Katrina. Other casts include Molly Hager as Virginia Rider, Michael Gaston as Arthur "Butch" Schafer, and Joe Carroll as Michael Arvin.
When Did Production Take Place for Five Days at Memorial?
Plans for the Five Days at Memorial adaptation initially began in 2013. After the book’s release, Scott Rudin obtained the rights to create a film adaptation under Scott Rudin Productions, with Eli Bush as producer. However, in 2017, his film rights were put to a halt. Ryan Murphy came in with the idea of adapting the book as the third series of American Crime Story. Unfortunately, the project was never actualized.
In 2019, Rudin continued to shop the project for others, ultimately landing in the hands of Carlton Cuse. Cuse obtained its television rights and brought John Ridley into the picture. Apple TV+ then put in an order for Five Days at Memorial in September 2020, with Cuse and Ridley spearheading the project as directors, writers, co-showrunners, and executive producers. Casting began in March until August 2021, and production finally took place from May to November 2021 in New Orleans and Toronto.
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