Crash course in humanity
Strangers unite in ‘Dear Edward’
When avid readers learn of an upcoming screen adaptation of a beloved novel, many are often met with a mixture of hope and anxiety.This month, that blend of emotion attaches itself to a new drama series, “Dear Edward,” premiering Friday, Feb. 3, on Apple TV+.
Based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based author Ann Napolitano, “Dear Edward” chronicles the story of 12-year-old Edward Adler, played in the series by budding talent Colin O’Brien (“Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” 2022). The sole survivor of a terrifying plane crash that claimed the lives of, among several strangers, his brother and parents, Edward struggles to make sense of his new, trauma-filled life.As he tries his best to come to terms with the reality of his loss and experience, Edward connects with several people also connected to those onboard; each of whom now also faces immeasurable grief.
Described by Apple TV as “a heartbreaking, life-affirming and uplifting story about survival, resilience, connection and the examination of what makes us human,” “Dear Edward” is written by showrunner Jason Katims, who won a Primetime Emmy for his writing for “Friday Night Lights” and who also holds writing and production credits for the Amazon Original dramedy “As We See It,” the Hilary Swank-led (“Million Dollar Baby,” 2004) Netflix space series “Away” and the early-2000s sci-fi television hit “Roswell.”
“Dear Edward” marks a “Friday Night Lights” reunion for Katims and series star Connie Britton, who is also known to TV fans for her work in “American Horror Story,” “Nashville” and the first season of HBO’s mega-hit “The White Lotus.” In the new Apple series, Britton portrays Dee Dee, a mother struggling to smooth over her relationship with her teenage daughter (Audrey Corsa, “All Rise”) following her husband’s death in the same plane crash that killed the Adlers.
“Orange Is the New Black” alum Taylor Schilling also stars in the series as Dee Dee’s best friend and Edward’s aunt, Lacey, who takes the boy in during the aftermath of the crash.As the aunt and nephew form a stronger bond with one another, a support group of sorts is formed and those affected by the tragedy find new friends, partners and romances amid their grief.
Following the core cast announcement in February 2022, entertainment news site Deadline reported the addition of 11 more cast members. Included among Britton, Schilling, O’Brien and Corsa’s co-stars are Broadway actress Anna Uzele (“City on a Hill”) as Adriana, an activist who loses her grandmother in the crash; Carter Hudson (“Snowfall”) as Edward’s Uncle John, who helps Lacey raise the young boy during his emotional and physical recovery; Idris Debrand (“MotherFatherSon”) as Kojo, whose sister died in the accident, leaving him to fly in from Ghana to care for his niece; Ivan Shaw (“The Cleaning Lady”) as golden child Steve, who, in the aftermath of his estranged brother’s death, reflects upon the tenuous nature of their relationship; Amy Forsyth (“CODA,” 2021) as Linda, a pregnant woman left alone after her boyfriend dies; and Jenna Qureshi (“Alma’s Way”) as Mahira, the secret girlfriend of Jordan (Maxwell Jenkins, “Lost in Space”), a friend of Edward’s.
Brittany S. Hall (“Ballers”), Dario Ladani Sanchez (“Paper Trail”) and Eva Ariel Binder (“Grey’s Anatomy”) also star, as musician Amanda, graphic designer/family man Sam and Shay, a longtime friend of Edward’s, respectively.
The series begins strong on the Apple streamer, releasing the first three episodes of its 10-episode debut season on Feb. 3. (The remaining episodes release on Fridays thereafter.) The first of these episodes is directed by “Succession” actor and “Dear Edward” executive producer Fisher Stevens, who has previously flexed his directorial muscle with all five episodes of Showtime’s “The Lincoln Project” and the 2021 Justin Timberlake (“The Social Network,” 2010) film “Palmer,” among various other projects.
Those who have read the book and remain wary of the screen adaptation can also rest a bit easier knowing that author Napolitano joins Stevens, Katims and True Jack Productions’ Jeni Mulein (“Vantage Point,” 2008) behind the scenes as an executive producer herself, meaning that the integrity and heart of the story are likely to remain true to the source material — source material that is, in turn, loosely based on true events of its own.
“In 2010, a flight from South Africa to London crashed in Libya,” Napolitano told the New York Times in a 2020 interview. “There was one survivor: a nine-year-old Dutch boy who was found half a mile away from the wreckage, still buckled into his seat. He had a punctured lung and a broken leg, but otherwise he was fine. Everyone else on the plane died immediately, including his brother and his parents.”
The author continued: “This story just flayed me. I could not imagine how the boy would be OK — and I could feel from the stickiness of my obsession that I was going to have to write a book that created a set of circumstances to make him OK.”
Don’t miss the heart-wrenching journey of a young survivor and his support group when the first three episodes of “Dear Edward” premiere Friday, Feb. 3, on Apple TV+.