| Watchmen | |
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| Created by | Damon Lindelof |
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| Showrunner | Damon Lindelof |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
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| Running time | 52–67 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | October 20 – December 15, 2019 |
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Watchmen is a 2019 American superhero drama limited series based on the 1986 DC Comics series of the same title created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The TV series was created for HBO by Damon Lindelof, who also served as an executive producer and writer. Its ensemble cast includes Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Howard, Jacob Ming-Trent, Tom Mison, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Louis Gossett Jr. and Jeremy Irons. Jean Smart and Hong Chau joined the cast in later episodes.
Lindelof likened the television series to a "remix" of the original comic series. While the series is technically a sequel that takes place 34 years after the events of the comics within the same alternate reality, Lindelof wanted to introduce new characters and conflicts which created a new story within the Watchmen continuity, rather than creating a reboot. The series focuses on events surrounding racist violence in present-day Tulsa, Oklahoma. A white supremacist group called the Seventh Kavalry has taken up arms against the Tulsa Police Department because of perceived racial injustices, causing the police to conceal their identities with masks to prevent the Seventh Kavalry from targeting them in their homes following the "White Night". Angela Abar (portrayed by King), a detective known as Sister Night, investigates the murder of her friend and the chief of the police, Judd Crawford (Johnson), and discovers secrets regarding the situations around vigilantism.
The series, promoted by HBO as an ongoing drama series, premiered on October 20, 2019, before concluding its nine-episode run on December 15. Lindelof left his role as showrunner after the first season, stating that he had completed his intended story. HBO subsequently confirmed there are no further plans for the show to continue without Lindelof returning in some capacity, and reclassified the work as a limited series with possible future installments.
Watchmen received widespread critical acclaim for its performances, writing, visuals, score, and expansion of the source material, as well as commendation for highlighting the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. The series received several awards, including 26 nominations and 11 wins at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards – the most for any show in 2020 – including Best Limited Series, Best Actress for a Limited Series (King), and Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series (Abdul-Mateen).