The 'Disclaimer' Trailer Promises High Drama

Apple TV+ has gone ahead and released the trailer for Disclaimer, the Alfonso Cuarón written and directed series starring Cate Blanchett (Lord of the Rings) and Kevin Kline (always and forever The Pirates of Penzance). The series, which Apple greenlit in 2021 and is one of their higher-priced shows, is based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Renée Knight and stars a who's who of British and American talent. 

The high-end streaming service is pushing the series hard as a prime example of prestige TV, with a heavy emphasis on Cuarón, Blanchett, and Kline's Academy Award bona fides in the marketing. The series is referred to as a "seven-part event" (each episode is called a "Chapter") with a trailer that would easily fit in among feature film trailers on IMAX screens in front of awards-bait offerings.

Whether critics will reward Disclaimer for its attempt at a "we're more than just a TV show" waiver remains to be seen. However, for Anglophiles, the prospect of a TV series that stars Blanchett and Kline, with significant roles for several PBS favorites, is far too tempting, especially since Apple TV+ has it on the books as the direct follow-up to Slow Horses Season 4, which is premiering in September instead of its usual December holiday berth. Though not that many subscribe to Apple TV+, streaming the two shows back to back makes Apple TV+ a very enticing prospect for the 2024 Fall TV Season. Configure your services accordingly.

Here’s the series synopsis:

Acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets. As Catherine races to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys her life and her relationships with her husband, Robert, and their son, Nicholas. 

Blanchett will star as Catherine Ravenscroft, and Kline will star as Stephen Brigstocke. Sacha Baron Cohen (The Spy) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) play Catherine’s husband, Robert, and son, Nicholas; Lesley Manville (Moonflower Murders) appears as Stephen’s wife, Nancy Brigstocke, with Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes) as their son Jonathan. The rest of the cast includes Liv Hill (The Serpent Queen), Gemma Jones (Gentleman Jack), Youssef Kerkour (Napoleon), Hoyeon Jung (Chicken Run), Indira Varma (The Capture), and Leila George (Animal Kingdom).

Cuarón wrote and directed all episodes and serves as executive producer alongside Blanchett, Kline, Emmanuel Lubezki, Donald Sabourin, Carlos Morales, Gabriela Rodriguez for Esperanto Filmoj, and David Levine and Steve Golin for Anonymous Content. Finneas O’Connell (the unsung hero of Billie Eilish’s career) composed the score.

Disclaimer premieres with two episodes (err, chapters) on Friday, October 11, followed by weekly installments every Friday through November 15, 2024.