‘Childhood’s End’ Reflects Anxieties Of 2015 Despite 1950’s Pub Date – TCA

Making a TV adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s acclaimed science fiction novel Childhood’s End in 2015 is no different than if the miniseries had been made in the 1950s when the book was published, writer/exec producer Matthew Graham told reporters at the TCA Summer Press Tour.

Childhood’s End will debut December 14 on Syfy, the network announced this morning. The 1953 book follows the peaceful take-over of Earth by alien overlords, who promise to eliminate poverty, war and sickness, but what do they want in return?

There is no difference,” Graham insisted when asked about making this series today versus when the book was written. “All the stakes we seem to live under seem almost indistinguishable to me” compared to those of the 50’s, he said. “He was writing in an age of austerity, a world shaken to its core by World War II. He was writing during the Cold War. We’re all rattled by events of the last 15 years. Absolutely all the same things apply. One man’s surveillance is another man’s security. Some people want to be spied on, want to be looked at – they feel safe,” said Graham, who is creator of BBC’s Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes.

“There are no heroes and villains in the story,” Graham continued. “It’s not about heroes and villains. There is nothing to fix, nothing to fight against,” he said, as the inevitable storyline unfolds.

The three-night series was one of several long-form projects announced at Syfy’s 2013 upfront. Nearly a year after Deadline reported that the six-hour television event had been greenlit by Syfy and Universal Cable Productions, the network said this morning the program will air over three consecutive nights, from Monday, December 14 through Wednesday, December 16, 8-10PM ET/PT.

Executive produced by Akiva Goldsman (Lone Survivor, A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend) and Michael De Luca (Captain Phillips, Moneyball, The Social Network), the cast includes Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Mike Vogel (Under the Dome), Daisy Betts (The Last Resort), Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black), Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck), Osy Ikhile (The Fear) and Colm Meaney (Star Trek: The Next Generation).

Related stories

Syfy's 'Childhood's End' & 'The Expanse' Bowing Back-To-Back In December

Colm Meaney & Charlotte Nicdao Join Syfy's 'Childhood's End' Miniseries

Julian McMahon & Daisy Betts Join Syfy's 'Childhood's End'

Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter