Behind the Scenes of Fallout, Gaming’s Most Astonishing TV Hit

The Fallout TV series is back to streaming services, and it's safe to say that audiences were delightfully shocked by the excellence of its first season. By illustrating the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the perspectives of three different characters, it managed to capture various facets of the gamer's adventure.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, striving to do the right thing and learning that the ruined world made that exceptionally challenging; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel initiate, who starts doubting his faction's leadership and unleashes plenty of trouble in mechanized battle suit; and the Ghoul, a breakout character who has long since lost any moral compass out in the irradiated wilderness.

Building Anticipation for the Second Season

The debut season's conclusion disclosed crucial details about the culprits behind the atomic conflict that sealed a society in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also raised plenty of questions open for the upcoming chapter – and, now, hopes are considerably elevated.

“We'd gladly accept ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips the show's co-creator.

“Going into the first season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” adds Todd Howard. “We are ecstatic with the feedback to the show, so now people are bringing more enthusiasm and altered expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment

The new season is taking place in New Vegas, the location of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the most compelling narratives and cast in the franchise, despite the fact that it was a bit broken at launch.

“It has a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so key to that game,” says the co-creator. “That dusty, blasted-out iconic highway vibe of the game is so much fun to bring into the show.”

In the series narrative, a significant amount of time has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. However, the creators hint that it acknowledges the fan's adventure.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its physical authenticity – its production team ensured real props and environments were constructed, echoing the improvised nature of the towns in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many productions I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a digital backdrop,” comments another of the showrunners. “The whole point of an translation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to feel like it’s tangible.”

In fact, pretty much everything you see on-screen is real, including the notoriously frightening mutated beasts known as the apex predators. In the show, they are portrayed by puppets, and were reportedly quite terrifying up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series works because it is made by skilled directors who are also longtime fans, in collaboration with the original creators behind the video games. This common understanding for the world is apparent in the final product.

The new batch of episodes is debuting on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a binge-able batch, marking a change from the initial release. This approach will create a new viewing experience, something the showrunners themselves are eager to engage with.

“It has more depth, it’s bigger, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of revelations,” promises Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”