Behind the Scenes of the Fallout Universe, the Gaming World’s Most Unexpected Television Success

The post-apocalyptic TV series has made a triumphant return to its platform, and it's safe to say that audiences were pleasantly surprised by the excellence of its initial run. By portraying the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three distinct characters, it effectively portrayed different facets of the gamer's experience.

There was vault-dweller Lucy, striving to act with integrity and discovering that the wasteland made that very difficult; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who starts doubting his faction's authority and causes a lot of havoc in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a fan-favorite figure who has entirely abandoned any sense of morality out in the radioactive badlands.

Building Anticipation for a New Chapter

The show's first season ending disclosed crucial details about who helped cause the global annihilation that sealed a group of people in bomb-proof bunkers for an extended period. It also posed numerous mysteries open for the second season – and, now, hopes are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips one of the series creators.

“Starting the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” adds Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the response to the show, so now people are arriving with more excitement and new expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for Season Two

The new season is taking place in the neon-lit city, the location of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the most compelling narratives and personalities in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It has a arid atmosphere, a Mojave vibe, that’s so key to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That dusty, blasted-out Route 66 aesthetic of the game is so much rewarding to incorporate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a considerable period has passed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. However, the creators hint that it does reference the gamer's experience.

Crafting a Tangible World

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its physical authenticity – its creators prioritized authentic items and environments were built, echoing the improvised nature of the settlements in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many shows I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a digital backdrop,” observes another of the showrunners. “The whole point of an translation, particularly of a video game, is to appear as if it’s authentic.”

Actually, almost every element you see on-screen is real, including the notoriously frightening irradiated monsters known as the apex predators. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were reportedly pretty frightening up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series resonates because it is crafted by accomplished storytellers who are also longtime fans, alongside the game developers behind the video games. This common understanding for the lore is clear in the finished show.

The new batch of episodes is launching on a weekly basis rather than as a all-at-once release, representing a shift from the initial release. This format will allow for a different weekly discussion, something the team themselves are excited to observe.

“It delves deeper, it’s larger in scale, it’s wittier, it has a lot of revelations,” says Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”