Time Bandits (TV series)

Time Bandits is a fantasy adventure television series created by Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris, and Taika Waititi, based on characters from the 1981 film of the same name directed by Terry Gilliam. The series premiered on July 24, 2024, on Apple TV+. In September 2024, the series was canceled after one season.

Premise

The series is described as a comedic journey through time and space with a ragtag group of thieves and their newest recruit: an eleven-year-old history nerd.

Cast

Main

Lisa Kudrow as Penelope
Kal-El Tuck as Kevin
Tadhg Murphy as Alto
Roger Jean Nsengiyumva as Widgit
Rune Temte as Bittelig
Lo Mutuc as Judy
Rachel House as Fianna
Kiera Thompson as Saffron

Recurring

Jonathan Brugh as Damon
Jemaine Clement as Pure Evil
Taika Waititi as Supreme Being
James Dryden as Mr. Haddock
Felicity Ward as Mrs. Haddock
Shane Rangi as Demon
Francesca Mills as Detective Katherine
Imaan Hadchiti as Sergeant Lewis

Guest

Marley Mackrill as Mikey Haddock
Ross Noble as Stonehenge builder
Zoë Ventoura as Cassandra
Nikita Chronis as Xanthus
Jose Palma as Balam Cupul
Génesis Mancheren Ab'äj as Lady Sak K'uk
Con O'Neill as the Sheriff of Nottingham
Matt King as De Plume
Shaun Micallef as Town Mayor
George Houvardas as Ajax the Lesser
Mark Gatiss as John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
Hammed Animashaun as Mansa Musa
Kountry Wayne as Bumpy Johnson

Production

In July 2018, it was announced that Apple Inc. had closed a deal to develop a television series version of the Terry Gilliam film, with Gilliam set to serve as executive producer. In March 2019, Taika Waititi joined the project, set to co-write and direct the pilot episode. Waititi stated the series would be 10 episodes, and revealed to be a co-writer alongside Iain Morris and Jemaine Clement. In September 2022, Lisa Kudrow was cast. On September 16, 2024, Apple TV+ canceled the series after one season.
Production took place in New Zealand and Toronto in late 2022 and early 2023. The series was shot in Wellington, appearing as 1920s New York when shooting began in October 2022.
Time Bandits made significant use of practical effects in order to match Terry Gilliam's original 1981 film. Miniature effects were employed for various scenes, including Chinese ships, a Mayan pyramid, parts of the Fortress of Darkness, and Kevin's bedroom, while oil-painted matte paintings were used for certain background shots. To create animals such as the woolly mammoth, rhinoceros, and saber-tooth tiger, the show utilized a combination of animatronics, puppets, and creature suits. Additionally, the series features nearly 5000 computer-generated visual effects shots, some created using blue-screen and green-screen techniques, while others were filmed in the Volume with LED screens to generate backgrounds.

Release

Time Bandits premiered on July 24, 2024, on Apple TV+. The show was released two episodes a week through August 21, 2024.

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 76% approval rating with an average rating of 7.1/10, based on 51 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "This reimagining of Time Bandits swaps out the original film's eccentricity for a more family-friendly sensibility, delivering an energetic adventure that gets more absorbing as it goes along." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 66 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Controversy

In 2024, Charlyne Yi said that while filming the series, a male actor constantly assaulted them, injuring their back. Yi claimed the actor in question attempted to gaslight producers and HR about the incident to protect his image. However, following Yi’s complaint, multiple individuals and witnesses were interviewed as part of the full investigation, but none of Yi’s claims could be substantiated.