Taron Egerton Reminds Us Where There's 'Smoke' There's Fire

Fire is one of the most destructive forces found in nature, capable of quickly destroying everything humans have built; the last two years have seen some demonstrations of just how deadly fire can be, between the complete razing from the 2023 Maui wildfires in Hawai'i to the sudden and complete wipe out of the Palisades in Los Angeles in 2024. Both were shocking events, but the California one moreso, because the state has a history of wildfires and plenty of experience with containment. California has been dealing with fires for decades, including a decade of arson in the 1980s that was only solved when investigators discovered a manuscript of a novel that was all but a confession.

The story of the 1980s arson attacks across California, and the discovery of the manuscript in 1991, which led to the subsequent trial, were the subject of a 2021 podcast called Firebug, in which the host, Kary Antholis, attempts to separate the facts of the case from the fictionalization of the crimes in the manuscript to locate where the truth of the story lies. The 12-episode series was a massive hit, so it's not surprising that Apple TV+ (which has a vested interest in podcasts, having reinvented the radio show with them) commissioned a series based on it.

Initially titled after the podcast, Firebug was first announced in March 2024, with British actor Taron Egerton (Rocketman) attached to star. However, as the series progressed, it shifted away from dramatizing actual events. It evolved into a distinct fictionalized version, adding another layer of fantasy to the real-life events that inspired the series, and causing Apple TV+ to change the name to Smoke.

Here's the series synopsis:

Inspired by true events, Smoke follows a troubled detective and an enigmatic arson investigator as they pursue the trails of two serial arsonists.

And here's the synopsis for the podcast Firebug, from which the series was adapted.

For ten years, a serial arsonist terrorized Southern California, burning down businesses in broad daylight. Four people were murdered. Then a manuscript for a novel leads investigators to the last person they would have ever suspected

Egerton stars as arson investigator Dave Gudsen, alongside American Jurnee Smolett (The Order) as Detective Michell Calderon. The two are joined by a cast that includes Rafe Spall (Trying), Adina Porter (Prime Suspect), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Washington Black), Greg Kinnear (House of Cards), John Leguizamo (Romeo + Juliet), Hannah Emily Anderson (Reign), and Anna Chlumsky (Evil). 

Creator Dennis Lehane was inspired by truth.media’s Firebug podcast hosted Kary Antholis; Lehane acted as lead writer on the nine-episode series along with Adriane McCray and Molly Anne Miller. Director Jim McKay spilt helming duties with Joe Chappelle and Kari Skogland. Lehane, Egerton, and Antholis all executive produce along with Marc Smerling for Truth Podcasting Corp. 

Smoke premieres with two episodes on Apple TV+ on Friday, June 27, followed by weekly episodes on Fridays through August 8, 2025.