The Dropout

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This article is about the television miniseries. For the podcast the series is based on, see The Dropout (podcast).
The Dropout
The Dropout (miniseries).jpg
GenreDrama
Created byElizabeth Meriwether
Based onthe ABC News Podcast The Dropout
Starring
  • Amanda Seyfried
  • Naveen Andrews
ComposerAnne Nikitin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Cinematography
  • Michelle Lawler
  • Jonathan Furmanski
  • Blake McClure
Editors
  • David Berman
  • Steve Welch
  • Susana Benaim
Running time45–55 minutes
Production companies
  • Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures
  • Semi-Formal Productions
  • 20th Television
  • Searchlight Television
DistributorDisney Platform Distribution
Release
Original networkHulu
Original releaseMarch 3 (2022-03-03) –
April 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)

The Dropout is an American drama miniseries created by Elizabeth Meriwether, based on the podcast The Dropout hosted by Rebecca Jarvis and produced by ABC News. The series documents the disgraced biotechnology company Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes, played by Amanda Seyfried.[1]

It is the first television production to be produced by Searchlight Television. The Dropout premiered on the streaming service Hulu on March 3, 2022.[2] It received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the writing and the performances of the cast. The series was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Seyfried, winning the latter.

Synopsis[]

The Dropout, based on the ABC Audio podcast of the same name, is a series about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos.[3] The show touches on experiences that likely motivated Holmes's deceptions and lies in a linear fashion, starting from her preteens and all the way to her exposure as a fraud.[4]

Cast and characters[]

Main[]

Recurring[]

Episodes[]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [5]
1"I'm In a Hurry"Michael ShowalterElizabeth MeriwetherMarch 3, 2022 (2022-03-03)
2"Satori"Michael ShowalterMatt LutskyMarch 3, 2022 (2022-03-03)
3"Green Juice"Michael ShowalterHilary BettisMarch 3, 2022 (2022-03-03)
4"Old White Men"Michael ShowalterDan LeFrancMarch 10, 2022 (2022-03-10)
5"Flower of Life"Francesca GregoriniLiz HannahMarch 17, 2022 (2022-03-17)
6"Iron Sisters"Francesca GregoriniWei-Ning YuMarch 24, 2022 (2022-03-24)
7"Heroes"Erica WatsonLiz HeldensMarch 31, 2022 (2022-03-31)
8"Lizzy"Erica WatsonTeleplay by : Elizabeth Meriwether
Story by : Elizabeth Meriwether & Sofya Levitsky-Weitz		April 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)

Production[]

Development[]

On April 10, 2019, Deadline Hollywood reported that Hulu had given the production a series order for 6 to 10 episodes. The series would be executive produced by Kate McKinnon; the host of The Dropout, Rebecca Jarvis; and its producers, Taylor Dunn and Victoria Thompson. The production company involved with this series is Searchlight Television, making this its inaugural production.[3] Upon the casting of Amanda Seyfried, she also joined the miniseries as a producer while Elizabeth Meriwether, Liz Heldens, Liz Hannah, and Katherine Pope joined Dunn and Thompson as executive producers.[1] On March 31, 2021, Michael Showalter and Jordana Mollick joined the limited series as executive producers. Showalter was also expected to direct several episodes.[6]

Casting[]

Kate McKinnon was also cast to star as Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO of Theranos.[7] On February 18, 2021, McKinnon dropped out of the project. Though her departure did not come with an explanation, production moved forward without McKinnon.[8] On March 29, 2021, Amanda Seyfried was cast to replace McKinnon.[1] A day later, Naveen Andrews joined the main cast.[9] On June 10, 2021, William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, Elizabeth Marvel, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Kate Burton, Stephen Fry, Michel Gill, Michael Ironside, Bill Irwin, and Josh Pais were cast in recurring roles.[10] On August 3, 2021, Dylan Minnette, Alan Ruck, Bashir Salahuddin, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Hart Bochner, James Hiroyuki Liao, Nicky Endres, Camryn Mi-Young Kim, and Andrew Leeds were cast in recurring roles.[11] On August 5, 2021, Sam Waterston, Kurtwood Smith and Anne Archer were cast in recurring roles.[12] On September 14, 2021, LisaGay Hamilton, Michaela Watkins, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Kevin Sussman, Sam Straley, and Shaun Brown joined the cast in recurring capacities.[13]

Release[]

The series premiered on March 3, 2022, with the first three episodes available immediately and the rest debuting on a weekly basis on Hulu.[2] In international markets, it was released simultaneously via Star content hub on Disney+, on Star+ in Latín America,[14] and on Disney+ Hotstar in India and Southeast Asia.[15]

Reception[]

Audience viewership[]

According to data from Samba TV, 499,000 US households watched The Dropout in its first 4 days of streaming.[16] According to Nielsen Holdings, The Dropout spent one week in the top ten streaming programs, during the week of March 7, 2022 to March 13, 2022.[17][18] According to the streaming agregator Reelgood, The Dropout was the 3rd most watched program across all platforms, during the week of March 24, 2022,[19] and was the most watched tv show during the week of March 31, 2022.[20]

Critical response[]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the limited series holds a 89% approval rating based on 88 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Dropout succeeds more as a docudrama than a dark comedy, but Amanda Seyfried's disquieting portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes brings fresh blood to this retelling of recent history."[21] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 75 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]

Caroline Framke of Variety found the miniseries very impressive for its genuine portrait of Elizabeth Holmes, acclaimed the performances of the actors, especially Amanda Seyfried and Naveen Andrews, and said that the show skillfully manages to cover Holmes' life throughout the years flawlessly with its edits.[23] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter acclaimed Seyfried for her performance, while praising the supporting cast, complimented how the miniseries manages to depict Holmes and the different aspects of her personality, and found the characterization of Holmes' entourage the show's best feature.[24] Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall gave a rating of 5 out of 5 stars and described it as, "a maddening, gripping, and at times startlingly funny recreation of a story that would feel too absurd to be true if we didn't already know otherwise."[25] Beth Webb of Empire rated the series 4 out of 5 stars, praised the performance of Seyfried and Andrews, and found the show cohesive and entrancing.[26] Joyce Slaton of Common Sense Media rated the miniseries 4 out of 5 stars, praised the performances of the actors, and stated that the show illustrates Holmes went too far to make a positive impact on the world.[27] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian rated the miniseries 3 out of 5 stars, praised the performances of the actors and the story, writing, "it’s clunky at points, but Amanda Seyfried excels as one-time billionaire grifter Elizabeth Holmes – and the story is simply too jaw-dropping to pass up."[28]

Accolades[]

Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
2022
 Dorian TV Awards Best TV Movie or Miniseries The Dropout Pending [29]
Best TV Performance Amanda Seyfried Pending
Gold Derby TV Awards Best Limited/Movie Actress Won [30]
Best Limited/Movie Supporting Actor Naveen Andrews Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Streaming Limited or Anthology Series The Dropout Nominated [31]
Best Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Amanda Seyfried Won
Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Naveen Andrews Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Laurie Metcalf Nominated
Best Directing in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Michael Showalter (for "Green Juice") Nominated
Best Writing in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Elizabeth Meriwether (for "I'm In a Hurry") Nominated
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Performance in a Show Amanda Seyfried Nominated [32]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Elizabeth Meriwether, Katherine Pope, Michael Showalter,
Jordana Mollick, Rebecca Jarvis, Taylor Dunn, Victoria Thompson,
Liz Heldens, Liz Hannah, Hilton Smith, Dan LeFranc, Amanda Seyfried,
Hilary Bettis, and Megan Mascena 		Nominated [33]
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Amanda Seyfried Won
Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Francesca Gregorini (for "Iron Sisters") Nominated
Michael Showalter (for "Green Juice") Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Elizabeth Meriwether (for "I'm in a Hurry") Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Jeanie Bacharach, Mark Rutman, and Alison Goodman Nominated
ReFrame Stamp IMDbPro Top 200 Scripted TV Recipients The Dropout Won [34]
Set Decorators Society of America Awards Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Television Movie or Limited Series Kimberly Leonard and Cat Smith Nominated [35]
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials The Dropout Nominated [36]
Individual Achievement in Drama Amanda Seyfried Nominated

See also[]

  • List of podcast adaptations

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Andreeva, Nellie (March 29, 2021). "Amanda Seyfried To Play Elizabeth Holmes In 'The Dropout' Hulu Limited Series About Disgraced Theranos Founder". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Swift, Andy (December 15, 2021). "Amanda Seyfried Is Elizabeth Holmes in First Look at Hulu's The Dropout". TVLine. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Andreeva, Nellie (April 10, 2019). "Hulu Orders 'The Dropout' Limited Series Starring Kate McKinnon As Elizabeth Holmes From Fox Searchlight TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  4. ^ "The Dropout review – another mind-blowing portrait of a great American fraudster". the Guardian. March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  5. ^ "Shows A-Z – The Dropout on Hulu". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (March 31, 2021). "Michael Showalter To Direct & Executive Produce 'The Dropout' Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  7. ^ Bradley, Laura (April 10, 2019). "Kate McKinnon Will Transform into Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 18, 2021). "Kate McKinnon Exits 'The Dropout' Hulu Limited Series About Theranos' Elizabeth Holmes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Petski, Denise (March 30, 2021). "Naveen Andrews Joins Amanda Seyfried In 'The Dropout' Hulu Limited Series About Disgraced Theranos Founder". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  10. ^ Petski, Denise (June 10, 2021). "'The Dropout': William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, Elizabeth Marvel, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Kate Burton Among 10 Cast In Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  11. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (August 3, 2021). "'The Dropout': Dylan Minnette, Bashir Salahuddin & Alan Ruck Among Nine Added To Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  12. ^ Petski, Denise (August 5, 2021). "'The Dropout': Sam Waterston, Kurtwood Smith & Anne Archer To Recur In Hulu Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (September 14, 2021). "'The Dropout': Hulu Limited Series Rounds Out Recurring Cast With LisaGay Hamilton, Michaela Watkins, More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  14. ^ ""The Dropout" Coming Soon To Hulu/Star | What's On Disney Plus". December 13, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  15. ^ Disney+ Hotstar ID [@DisneyPlusID] (February 10, 2022). "Apapun yang dibutuhkan, akan dilakukan. Amanda Seyfried akan berperan sebagai CEO Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes. Streaming #TheDropout mulai 4 Maret, hanya di #DisneyPlusHotstarID" [Whatever is needed, will be done. Amanda Seyfried will role as CEO of Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes. Streaming #TheDropout from March 4th, only on #DisneyPlusHotstarID.] (Tweet) (in Indonesian). Retrieved February 12, 2022 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ "Based on true crime series Inventing Anna & The Dropout score big for Netflix & Hulu". JoBlo. March 10, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  17. ^ Mendelson, Scott. "Nielsen's: 'Turning Red' Debuts Below 'Encanto' While 'Dropout' Drops Out Of Top 10". Forbes. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  18. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb; Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 31, 2022). "Netflix's Worst Roommate Ever Moves Onto Nielsen Streaming Chart; Inventing Anna Threepeats at No. 1". TVLine. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  19. ^ Connellan, Shannon; Haysom, Sam (March 24, 2022). "The 10 most streamed TV and movies of the week: The good, the bad, and the fluffy". Mashable. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  20. ^ Haysom, Sam (March 31, 2022). "The 10 most streamed TV shows of the week: The good, the bad, and the meh". Mashable. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  21. ^ "The Dropout: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  22. ^ "The Dropout: Season 1". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  23. ^ Framke, Caroline (February 25, 2022). "'The Dropout,' Starring Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes, Triumphs Where Other 'Based on a True Story' Shows Have Failed: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  24. ^ Fienberg, Daniel (February 25, 2022). "Amanda Seyfried in Hulu's 'The Dropout': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  25. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (February 25, 2022). "'The Dropout' Shows How Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes' Blood Ran Cold". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  26. ^ "The Dropout". Empire. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  27. ^ "The Dropout TV Review | Common Sense Media". www.commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  28. ^ "The Dropout review – another mind-blowing portrait of a great American fraudster". the Guardian. March 3, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  29. ^ Coates, Tyler (June 23, 2022). "'Hacks' and 'Somebody Somewhere' Lead Dorian TV Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  30. ^ "2022 Gold Derby Awards: Top nominees are 'Succession', 'Only Murders' and all things Taika Waititi". www.goldderby.com. July 11, 2022. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  31. ^ Schneider, Michael (July 7, 2022). "'Severance,' 'Ted Lasso' Lead Streaming Nominees for 2nd Annual HCA TV Awards". Variety. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  32. ^ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (June 5, 2022). "The winners at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  33. ^ "The Dropout". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  34. ^ Behzadi, Sofia (July 19, 2022). "'Euphoria', 'Abbott Elementary' & Apple Among ReFrame Stamp Recipients For Gender-Balanced Hiring; Numbers Down From 2020-2021". Deadline. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  35. ^ "Set Decorators Announce Television Nominees for SDSA Awards, Where Lizzo Will Take on Harry Potter". Below the Line. June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  36. ^ Hailu, Selome (August 6, 2022). "'Abbott Elementary' Tops 2022 TCA Awards". Variety. Retrieved August 6, 2022.

External links[]

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