Wild Palms

A man uncovers a dangerous web of schemes and deceit when he accepts the presidency of a TV company.

Wild Palms (1993) is a United States network science fiction drama miniseries created by Bruce Wagner and Oliver Stone for ABC. Jim Belushi plays Harry Wyckoff, a man who accepts the presidency of a television company and begins to uncover a dangerous web of schemes and deceit, with Dana Delany as Grace Wyckoff at his side. Robert Loggia plays Senator Anton Kreutzer, a powerful political figure whose ambitions intersect with the corporation's hidden agenda, while Kim Cattrall, Angie Dickinson, Ernie Hudson and Bebe Neuwirth fill out a large principal cast. Across a single five-episode run, the story is built from corporate boardroom maneuvering, shadowy conspiracies, and the unsettling power of broadcast media to shape what people see and dream. Its cyberpunk engine moves through a near-future America where technology and entertainment blur into a tool of control. The tone is paranoid and dreamlike, with a sense of dread running beneath the glossy surface of network politics. Fans of Max Headroom, Twin Peaks and The Matrix will find resonance in its blend of media satire, surreal technology and conspiracy. Adapted from a comic in spirit, it stands as a self-contained, Oliver Stone-era miniseries aimed at viewers who enjoy speculative thrillers about power, perception and the machinery of television.

Mixed audience reception, with viewers finding the miniseries ambitious but uneven and overwrought in its conspiracy plotting.

• Max Headroomshared cyberpunk dystopia, media manipulation and conspiracy themes
• Twin Peaksshared paranoid conspiracy thriller tone and technology-driven corruption
• The Matrixshared virtual reality and corporate control of perception themes

Created by

Bruce Wagner, Oliver Stone

Release Date

1993-05-16

Episode runtime

57 min

Rating

7.0 / 10 (51)

What is Wild Palms about?

A man who takes the presidency of a television company uncovers a dangerous web of schemes and deceit tied to technology that controls dreams.

What is Wild Palms like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Wild Palms as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.

Is Wild Palms violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Wild Palms as mild.

What did critics think of Wild Palms?

Mixed audience reception, with viewers finding the miniseries ambitious but uneven and overwrought in its conspiracy plotting.

Which shows are like Wild Palms?

Shows with a similar feel include Max Headroom, Twin Peaks, and The Matrix.

How long is Wild Palms?

Wild Palms: 1 season, 5 episodes.

Is Wild Palms still running?

No, Wild Palms has ended.