Overview of HBO's The Leftovers
HBO's The Leftovers is widely regarded as one of the network's finest dramas, and its television adaptation ultimately expanded on the book that inspired it.
Series Creation and Premise
Created by Tom Perrotta and Damon Lindelof, the series ran for three seasons from 2013 to 2017. It opens with an unexplained global event in which roughly 2% of the population vanishes overnight—drivers suddenly disappear from cars, a husband never returns from errands, and an unborn baby no longer appears on an ultrasound.
Adaptation from the Novel
The show adapts Perrotta's 2011 novel but takes considerable liberties. Season 1 largely follows the book's premise, while seasons 2 and 3 move into original territory with new storylines and developments.
Character Changes and Developments
Characters were reshaped for television: Kevin Garvey (played by Justin Theroux) serves as a police officer on the show whereas he is a mayor in the novel. Other roles and relationships were merged or reassigned, but the core emotional stakes remain intact.
Elements Preserved and Shifts
Some elements from the book, like ...