# Halt and Catch Fire (2014)

> In early 1980s Texas, a visionary, an engineer and a prodigy chase the ambition of building a personal computer that could change the world.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/53340

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 40
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Christopher C. Rogers, Christopher Cantwell
- Network: AMC
- Cast: Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Davis, Kerry Bishé, Toby Huss, Aleksa Palladino, Scott Michael Foster, Will Greenberg
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543312/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: intense, wistful, character driven, tense

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim the series as a character-driven, intelligent drama with standout performances, especially Lee Pace, and an unusually thoughtful portrait of early personal computing.

## Synopsis

Halt and Catch Fire (2014-2017) is an American period drama created by Christopher C. Rogers and Christopher Cantwell for AMC. Across four seasons of ten episodes each, it follows an unlikely trio: visionary Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace), engineer Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy) and prodigy programmer Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis), with Kerry Bisht Donna Clark (Kerry Bishe) bringing a grounded family perspective. Their engine is the race to build a computer that will change the world, and each season is made of the professional gambles, rivalries and personal sacrifices that ambition demands in the business of early personal computing. Set in 1980s Texas as the PC era takes shape, the series moves through boardrooms, garages and tense product launches with a patient, character-led rhythm rather than hyperdrama. Its tone is intimate, wistful and intense, with a strong thematic current about obsession, creative drive and the people who build the digital world. Fans of Mad Men, Silicon Valley and Mr. Robot will find resonance in its period texture and its study of ambitious, flawed characters.

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