The Alienist

**The Alienist** is a TNT original drama series based on the novel of the same name by Caleb Carr. It is the first installment of the TNT's “Suspense Collection.”

The Alienist premiered on Monday, January 22, 2018, at 9 p.m. ET/PT across TNT platforms.

## Premise

Turner’s TNT will take viewers into the darkest corners of New York City during the Gilded Age with the eagerly anticipated series ‘The Alienist’ based on the Anthony Award-winning international bestseller by Caleb Carr.

## Synopsis

*The Alienist opens in 1896 when a series of haunting murders of boy prostitutes grips New York City. Newly appointed police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Geraghty) calls upon criminal psychologist — aka alienist — Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl) and newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans) to conduct the investigation in secret. They are joined by Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning), a headstrong secretary at Police Headquarters determined to become the city’s first female police detective. Using the emerging disciplines of psychology and forensics, this band of social outsiders set out to apprehend one of New York City’s first serial killers. The limited series also stars Douglas Smith, Matthew Shear Matt Lintz, Robert Ray Wisdom and Q'orianka Kilcher.*

## Cast and Characters

* Luke Evans as John Moore
* Dakota Fanning as Sara Howard
* Robert Wisdom as Cyrus Montrose
* Douglas Smith as Marcus Isaacson
* Matthew Shear as Lucius Isaacson
* Matt Lintz as Stevie Taggert
* Brian Geraghty as Theodore Roosevelt
* Q'orianka Kilcher as Mary Palmer
* Ted Levine as Thomas Byrnes
* Martin McCreadie as Sergeant Doyle
* Falk Hentschel as Biff Ellison
* Antonio Magro as Paul Kelly
* Jackson Gann as Joseph / Bernadette
* Jefferson White as Lincoln Steffens
* Grace Zabriskie as Catherine Moore
* Bill Heck as John Beecham

Note: For a comprehensive list, see specific episode pages.

## Production

On September 22, 2016, Deadline reported that Jakob Verbruggen will be replacing Cary Joji Fukunaga as director for The Alienist TV series, set to air on TNT. It has also been revealed that the shooting location has moved again–this time, from New York to Budapest–with filming scheduled to begin in early 2017.

On November 28, 2016, Daniel Brühl and Luke Evans were cast in TNT's ‘The Alienist’ as Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and John Moore, respectively.

On January 14, 2017, TNT announced that Dakota Fanning has been cast as intrepid police secretary, Sara Howard.

On February 10, 2017, TNT announced that Robert Wisdom (The Wire) and Q'orianka Kilcher (The New World) will join the cast of ‘The Alienist’ as Cyrus Montrose and Mary Palmer, respectively.

On February 19th, 2017, TV Wise reported that Netflix is currently finalizing a deal for international distribution of the ten episode series. They report that the deal will give Netflix first window rights in the UK along with more than 170 other countries.

Cast and crew moved to Budapest, where production team built a vast replica of old New York north of Budapest and shooting began March 16, 2017, as stated on a photo shared on Luke Evans's twitter feed.

On April 19th, 2017, Deadline has reported that Brian Geraghty will be replacing Sean Astin as Theodore Roosevelt in the upcoming adaptation. In a statement, TNT indicated that Astin will no longer play the role “because of scheduling difficulties.” In addition, Martin McCreadie has been cast as Sergeant Doyle, a character who does not appear in the books.

On September 9th, 2017, Luke Evans finished shooting after six months.

Sarah Aubrey, TNT’s executive vice president for original programming, said ‘The Alienist’ is the most expensive show the network has produced.  According to Variety, the budget for ‘The Alienist’ amounts to $5 million per episode.

### Branching out

On July 2nd, 2018, TNT Drama revealed their interest in well-crafted suspense as "the ultimate form of compelling drama." On the official Twitter account, TNT Drama was pleased to announce that The Alienist was the first limited series in their new anthology, the TNT's Suspense Collection.

The second entry, titled "*I Am the Night*", is expected to premiere January 2019. Starring Chris Pine and executive-produced by *Wonder Woman* director Patty Jenkins, the six-episode series tells the incredible story of Fauna Hodel, investigating the sinister secrets of her past. Sam Sheridan, author of *A Fighter’s Heart* and *The Disaster Diaries*, wrote five of the six episodes, while Carl Franklin (Mindhunter) directed two episodes.

On August 16, 2018, it was revealed that Turner' TNT has ordered ‘Angel of Darknessʼ limited series, a follow-up based on the sequel to Caleb Carr's ‘The Alienist’.

## Multimedia

### Promotional Images

* Posters
* Stills
* Photoshoot
* Events
* Nominations
* Behind the Scenes

*Photo by Kata Vermes and Jesse Giddings. [Courtesy of TNT Pressroom]*

*Photo by Kata Vermes and Jesse Giddings. [Courtesy of TNT Pressroom]*

*Photo by Kata Vermes and Jesse Giddings. [Courtesy of TNT Pressroom]*

Emmy For Your Consideration – May 2018, LA

*Photo by Presley Ann, David Livingston, Charley Gallay [Courtesy of Getty Images North America]*
 For Your Consideration – May 2018, NY

*Photo by Monica Schipper [Courtesy of Getty Images North America]*
Costume Exhibit – Time Warner Center, New York, Dec 2017

Premiere – New York, 2017

 *Photo by Jamie Mccarthy [Courtesy of Getty Images North America]*
Paramount Picture Premiere – Los Angeles, 2017

Alienist-BTS-66-Red-Carpet-Soiree-07-Robert-Wisdom.jpg
  *Photo by Tibrina Hobson, Presley Ann, Emma McIntyre [Courtesy of Getty Images North America]*
Interviews

Turner Upfront 2018

 EMMYS 2018

  *Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer, Neilson Barnard [Courtesy of Getty Images North America]*

### Promotional Videos

* Teasers
* Episode Promos
* Insights
* Interviews

The Alienist Promo — Official TrailerThe Alienist Promo — The GameThe Alienist Promo — Are We All Ready - Coming SoonThe Alienist Promo — Official Trailer Premiere ReleaseThe Alienist Promo — Define AlienistThe Alienist Promo — Hide & SeekThe Alienist Promo — MadnessThe Alienist Still Playing the Detective - Sara Howard PROMO TNTThe Alienist Plain Sight - Series Premiere January 22, 2018 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Detective - Series Premiere January 22, 2018 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Within - Series Premiere January 22 PROMO TNTThe Alienist A Toast to the Beginning - Season 1, Ep. 2 SNEAK PEEK TNTThe Thrill of TheAlienist The Alienist TNTThe Alienist Capable - SEASON 1 MONDAYS TNTThe Alienist Saga Sell - Season 1 PROMO TNTThe Alienist We Don't Yet Know Him, But We Will - Season 1 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Mid-Season Recap - Season 1 RECAP TNTThe Alienist Catch Up on Season 1 RECAP Season Finale March 26 at 9 8c! TNTThe Alienist A Tale of Burns, Sass, & Insults EXCLUSIVE TNT

The Alienist Within - Series Premiere January 22 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Silver Smile - Season 1, Ep. 3 PROMO TNTThe Alienist These Bloody Thoughts - Season 1, Ep. 4 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Hildebrandt's Starling - Season 1, Ep. 5 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Ascension - Season 1, Ep. 6 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Many Sainted Men - Season 1, Ep. 7 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Mid-Season Recap - Season 1 RECAP TNTThe Alienist Psychopathia Sexualis - Season 1, Ep. 8 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Requiem - Season 1, Ep. 9 PROMO TNTThe Alienist Castle in the Sky - Season Finale PROMO TNTThe Alienist Catch Up on Season 1 RECAP Season Finale March 26 at 9 8c! TNTThe Alienist Season 1 RECAP TNT

The Alienist Overview — Cold Blooded Killers Walk Among UsThe Alienist Inside — Character ProfilesThe Alienist Inside — Luke Evans Gives A Tour of the SetThe Alienist Promo — Dakota Fanning Introduces Sara HowardThe Alienist Promo — Luke Evans Introduces John MooreThe Alienist Promo — Daniel Brühl Introduces Laszlo KreizlerThe Alienist Inside — Behind Dakota Fanning's LooksThe Alienist Get to Know the Cast with Dakota Fanning & Luke Evans BEHIND THE SCENES TNTBuilding the World of The Alienist The Alienist 360 BEHIND THE SCENES TNTThe Alienist How the Other Half Dies with Luke Evans BEHIND THE SCENES TNTThe Alienist Birth of Psychology and Forensics BTS MONDAYS TNTThe Alienist History of the Serial Killer with Daniel Brühl BEHIND THE SCENES TNTThe Sartorialist & The Alienist EXCLUSIVE The Alienist TNTThe Alienist Dying Art of the Autopsy with Matthew Shear & Douglas Smith - Season 1 BTS TNTThe Alienist Birth of Psychology with Daniel Brühl - Season 1 BEHIND THE SCENES TNTThe Alienist Women in Police with Dakota Fanning - Season 1 BEHIND THE SCENES TNTThe Alienist Building the Gilded Age with Daniel Brühl & Luke Evans - Season 1 BTS TNTThe Alienist Fashion of the Gilded Age with Dakota Fanning & Luke Evans - Season 1 BTS TNTThe Alienist New York in 1896 with Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans & Dakota Fanning - Season 1 BTS TNTThe Alienist Reimagining the Gilded Age with Dakota Fanning - Season 1 BEHIND THE SCENES TNT

Daniel Brühl, Dakota Fanning & Luke Evans Speak On "The Alienist"The Alienist Live Cast Q&A and Special Sneak Peek TNTDaniel Brühl, Luke Evans, & Dakota Fanning Cast Interview EXCLUSIVE The Alienist TNTTurner Upfront 2017 Daniel Brühl and Luke Evans on the Red Carpet'The Alienist' Closer Look With Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans, Daniel Brühl, Jakob Verbruggen THRDakota Fanning, Luke Evans & Daniel Bruhl of 'The Alienist' Play 'First, Best, Last, Worst' THR

## Promotional Taglines

* "*The killer has a pattern. It’s up to them to find it.*"
* "*A monster lives in the shadows.*"
* "*There is darkness in this city.*"
* "*When will the killer strike next?*"
* "*Nothing’s as it seems.*"
* "*There's nowhere to hide.*"
* "*You can run, but you can’t hide.*"
* "*To catch a killer, one must be relentless.*"
* "*Madness lies within.*"
* "*Darkness dwells within.*"
* "*To Hell with them.*"

## Notes

* The soundtrack is composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams, who is already a composer of remarkable soundtracks such as *The Crown, Hacksaw Ridge, and Wonder Woman*.
	+ The music featured in ‘The Alienist’ Official Trailer is Ludovico Einaudi's track *Experience,* from the album "In a Time Lapse.﻿"

* Dakota Fanning chronicles the world of the new show on TNT drama, ‘The Alienist’:

> " *An alienist in 1896 was a psychologist, pretty much. A behavioral analyst. Somebody who believed that your past experiences form your future actions. [Someone who] would get inside the mind of another and try to understand why they, perhaps, do what they do.*"
>
>

* Step into the world of ‘The Alienist’ with Luke Evans:

> "*What's the show about? What's ‘The Alienist’? I mean, it is difficult to say because the main thread of the story is that there is a killer. A serial killer in New York City. Laszlo Kreizler. He is a psychologist. I mean, he was an early psychologist. Laszlo shuts himself off. He's able to detach himself from emotions so that he can objectively be the psychologist.*"
>
>

* A concept storyboard for the TV promo spot was pitched by motion graphic designer Joe Lea. Although not used in the final project, the artwork is visible on his official website.

* In December 2017, a contest was held to win a VIP Experience during “The Alienist” series premiere.

* Ornate dresses, exquisitely designed suits and elegant hats from the forthcoming, grisly TV series “The Alienist” are on display at the Shops at Columbus Circle through January 5th, 2018.

* During an interview with *The New York Times*, Caleb Carr, the novelist who penned the source material, offered his own impressions of the television adaptation. “It’s been 25 years of battling against really bad interpretations of this book,” Mr. Carr said. The past film attempts failed because producers like Scott Rudin sought to turn his layered psychological tale into a more conventionally formatted blockbuster, proposing to cut characters, add a love story and otherwise abandon the main focus on the team tracking the murderer. (“I wish him well with the show,” Mr. Rudin emailed in response.)

* Caleb Carr had no complaints that the project's original main creative force, Cary Joji Fukunaga (“Beasts of No Nation,” “True Detective”), left “The Alienist” before filming started. “His take on the story was too salacious and nearly completely mistaken,” Mr. Carr said. For all his exasperation, Mr. Carr remained eager for an adaptation “that enough resembled the book that I didn’t have to fight that battle anymore.”

* Director and executive producer Jakob Verbruggen (“The Fall”), said: “Every detail matters. We could only sell this world if we made it 100 percent believable.” Though the series is faithful to the team dynamic that animates the novel, there are differences. The killer’s perspective, absent from the book, is introduced early in the series. The reporter character, played by Mr. Evans, is now an illustrator. Sara Howard was made a well-rounded character, focusing more on women's movements of the era.

* A Red Carpet Soirée event took place on January 11, 2018, at Paramount Studios, Los Angeles.

* On April 18th, 2018, the three main starring actors Dakota Fanning, Daniel Brühl and Luke Evans arrived in Rome, Italy for the Netflix International Press Release of ‘The Alienist.’
	+ Luke Evans had arrived in Rome the previous week to celebrate his birthday with his family.

## Home videos

* From April 1st, 2018, the entire season is available on demand on TNT platforms.
* From April 19th, 2018, the ten episodes of ‘The Alienist’ are available on Netflix for registered members, except for US and France.
* Paramount Pictures released a DVD box set on May 20, 2019.
* Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released a DVD and Blu-Ray box set on September 10, 2019 for the American market.

## Reception

* ‘The Alienist’ was named the #1 Most Anticipated New TV Show of 2018 by IMDb.

* ‘The Alienist’ racked up 345.8 million TV ad impressions over seven days according to analytics charts provided by Promo Mojo.

* According to Time Warner, Inc., ‘The Alienist’ is the first new cable drama to date (2018).

* According to Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 66% based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 6.92/10.

* On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews"

* The cast and crew of ‘The Alienist’ received six Emmy nominations: *Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Period Costumes, Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program, Outstanding main Title Design, Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited series or Movie*, and *Outstanding Art Direction for a Period series, Miniseries or Movie single camera*.
	+ On September 9, 2018, ‘The Alienist’ won its first Emmy Award for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role."

## See Also

* The Alienist (novel) — Bestseller Novel
* The Alienist Soundtrack — Official Music Score
* Angel of Darkness — Follow-up to ‘The Alienist’ series
* The Angel of Darkness (novel) — Sequel to ‘The Alienist’ novel

## External Links

* Follow The Alienist (@http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/the-alienist) Official Website.
* Follow The Alienist (@suspensetnt) on Instagram.
* Follow The Alienist (@suspenseTNT) on Twitter.
* Follow The Alienist (@TheAlienistTNT) on Facebook.
* Follow The Alienist (@tntweknowdrama) on YouTube.

## References

1. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter, When will the killer strike next?*
2. ↑ *Variety, TV News Roundup: ‘The Alienist’ Sets Premiere Date on TNT*
3. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ — Official Trailer on TNT Drama YouTube Account*
4. ↑ *Psychological Thriller ‘The Alienist’ Gets a Premiere Date and a New Trailer — Collider.com*
5. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report' - Episode 1'*
6. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report* - Episode 2
7. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report* - Episode 3
8. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report* - Episode 4
9. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report* - Episode 5
10. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report* - Episode 6
11. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report* - Episode 7
12. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report' - Episode 8'*
13. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report* - Episode 9
14. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Crime Report* - Episode 10
15. ↑ *‘The Alienist’: Jakob Verbruggen To Direct TNT Series. Cary Fukunaga Pulls Out But Remains EP*
16. ↑ *Daniel Brühl and Luke Evans Cast in TNT's ‘The Alienist’ — TNT Pressroom*
17. ↑ *TNT Pressroom, Dakota Fanning joins TNT's ‘The Alienist’*
18. ↑ *Robert Wisdom and Q'orianka Kilcher Join TNT's ‘The Alienist’ — TNT Pressroom*
19. ↑ *TV Wise, Netflix Finalising Global Deal For TNT’s Caleb Carr Adaptation ‘The Alienist’*
20. ↑ *"What an awesome first day shooting #TheAlienist in Budapest. Here's to the next 5 months!*"
21. ↑ *Deadline.com, ‘The Alienist’: Brian Geraghty Replaces Sean Astin In TNT Series*
22. ↑ *Luke Evans on Instagram, Last Day Shooting ‘The Alienist’*
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 *How ‘The Alienist’ Finally Found a Screen*
24. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ Lands Big Bucks Series Order From TNT — Variety*
25. ↑  *@TheAlienistTNT on Twitter — Introducing Suspense Collection*
26. ↑  *TV Line — The Alienist's 'Suspense Collection' Follow-Up, I Am the Night, Gets Trailer.*
27. ↑ TNT Renews 'Alienist' With Follow-Up 'Angel of Darkness'
28. ↑ *Teaser #1: Don't Blink The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
29. ↑ *Teaser #2, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
30. ↑ *Teaser #3, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
31. ↑ *Teaser #4, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
32. ↑ *Teaser #5, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
33. ↑ *Teaser #6, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
34. ↑ *Teaser #7, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
35. ↑ *Teaser #8, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
36. ↑ *Teaser #9, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
37. ↑ *Teaser #10, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
38. ↑ *Teaser #11, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
39. ↑ *Teaser #12, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
40. ↑ *Teaser #13, ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
41. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter, What's an Alienist?*
42. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter, Step into the world of ‘The Alienist’*
43. ↑ *Joe Lea,‘The Alienist’ TV Promo Pitch*
44. ↑ *Enter now for a chance to win a trip to The Alienist premiere — TNT drama*
45. ↑ *‘The Alienist’ installation features costumes from the TNT series*
46. ↑ *Discover the beauty of #TheAlienist costume exhibit at the Time Warner Center in New York. — ‘The Alienist’ TNT Official Twitter*
47. ↑ *The team is assembled. Next, the soirée. — @TheAlienistTNT on Twitter*
48. ↑ *Dakota Fanning arrived in Rome for Netflix Press Release — @dakotafanning on Instagram*
49. ↑  *Daniel Brühl arrived in Rome for Netflix Press Release — @thedanielbruhl on Instagram*
50. ↑  *Luke Evans celebrated his 40th birthday in Rome before joining castmates for Netflix Press Release — @thedanielbruhl on Instagram*
51. ↑  *Binge the entire season of ‘The Alienist’ on the TNT app.*
52. ↑ *First season of ‘The Alienist’ to premiere internationally on Netflix on April 19th, 2018.*
53. ↑ *18 Most Anticipated New TV Shows of 2018**on IMDB.com*
54. ↑ *TNT’s ‘The Alienist’ Gets TV’s Biggest Promo Push*
55. ↑  *NWX — Year-to-date, @tntdrama’s #TheAlienist is the #1 new cable drama $TWX*
56. ↑ *"The Alienist: Season 1 (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 23, 2018.*
57. ↑ *"The Alienist reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 24, 2016.*
58. ↑  *Emmy Nominations — @SuspenseTNT*
59. ↑   *The Alienist Emmy Winner: Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role, Suspense Collection on Instagram (@Suspensetnt)*
60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 *Dave McNary, "Black Panther, Walking Dead Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved March 15, 2018.*
61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 61.2 61.3 61.4 61.5 *"Emmys.com list of 2018 Nominees & Winners". Retrieved July 14, 2018.*