Here and Now

A provocative and darkly comic meditation on the disparate forces polarizing present-day American culture, as experienced by the members of a progressive multi-ethnic family — a philosophy professor and his wife, their adopted children from Vietnam, Liberia and Colombia and their sole biological child — and a contemporary Muslim family, headed by a psychiatrist who is treating one of their children.

Here and Now (2018) is a American prestige cable dark comedy drama created by Alan Ball for HBO. Philosophy professor Greg (Tim Robbins) and his wife Audrey Bayer-Boatwright (Holly Hunter) raise three adopted children from Vietnam, Liberia and Colombia alongside their sole biological child, Kristen (Sosie Bacon). Their progressive ideals are tested as the household strains against the social and political divisions of present-day America. Their story crosses paths with a contemporary Muslim family headed by psychiatrist Dr. Farid Shokrani (Peter Macdissi), who is treating one of the Bayer-Boatwright children, and his wife Layla (Necar Zadegan). The engine of the series is the friction between good intentions and everyday compromise, played out across ten hour-long episodes in a single season of domestic confrontations, uneasy friendships and generational clashes. The tone is provocative and sardonic, with a bleak edge beneath the jokes, and the atmosphere is one of unease in a country pulling apart. Set in contemporary American suburbia, it is a serialized portrait of identity, race and belonging. Fans of Six Feet Under, Transparent and Divorce will find resonance in its blend of family drama, biting social satire and cringe-inducing honesty.

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers split between admiring its bold, provocative satire of American identity politics and finding its tone uneven and its dark comedy overwrought.

• Six Feet Undershared darkly comic family drama tones and sharp social satire of contemporary american identity politics
• Divorceshared prestige HBO satire of liberal hypocrisy and racial tension in a multi-ethnic household
• Transparentshared sardonic examination of upper-middle-class liberal self-regard and blended family conflict

Created by

Alan Ball

Release Date

2018-02-11

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

6.8 / 10 (56)

What is Here and Now about?

A darkly comic HBO drama follows a progressive multi-ethnic family and a Muslim family whose lives intersect as American culture polarizes around them.

What is Here and Now like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Here and Now as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is Here and Now violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Here and Now as mild.

What did critics think of Here and Now?

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers split between admiring its bold, provocative satire of American identity politics and finding its tone uneven and its dark comedy overwrought.

Which shows are like Here and Now?

Shows with a similar feel include Six Feet Under, Divorce, and Transparent.

How long is Here and Now?

Here and Now: 1 season, 10 episodes.

Is Here and Now still running?

No, Here and Now was canceled.

Where can I watch Here and Now?

In United States, Here and Now is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies.