Dickinson (TV series)

Dickinson is an American comedy-drama television series about Emily Dickinson, created by Alena Smith and produced for Apple TV+. Starring Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson, the series aired for 30 episodes over three seasons from November 1, 2019, to December 24, 2021.

Premise
The series depicts Emily Dickinson's era, focusing on her relationships with her family, her friends, and her society. It explores themes such as gender roles, sexual identity, and artistic expression, while also providing a window into the cultural and political climate of the time.

Dickinson is notable for its use of anachronisms, incorporating modern language, music, and references into its portrayal of historical events and figures.

Main

 * Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson, an aspiring poet in love with her best friend Sue, who is also her brother's fiancée. She pushes back against her parents' attempts to find her a suitor.
 * Adrian Blake Enscoe as Austin Dickinson, Emily and Lavinia's older brother, recently out of college. He is engaged to Sue Gilbert.
 * Anna Baryshnikov as Lavinia "Vinnie" Dickinson, the youngest of the Dickinson siblings; she is upset that her parents are not attempting to find her a suitor. She has her eyes on Joseph Lyman.
 * Ella Hunt as Sue Gilbert, Emily's lover and best friend who later marries Austin. She is recently orphaned and lived at a boarding house before moving in with Emily's family, until in later seasons builds the Evergreens, Austin and Sue's house.
 * Jane Krakowski as Emily Norcross Dickinson, the mother of Emily, Austin, and Lavinia. She is a housewife with patriarchal views and is upset when her husband hires a maid. In later seasons, she begins to shift to more radical views.
 * Toby Huss as Edward Dickinson, the father of Emily, Austin, and Lavinia who holds patriarchal views and disapproves of Emily's writing. He later runs for Congress and defects from the Whig party.
 * Amanda Warren as Betty (season 3; recurring season 1; guest season 2), a local dressmaker and Henry's wife with whom she has a daughter.
 * Chinaza Uche as Henry (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), a writer and editor, hired hand of the Dickinson family, and in season 3 joins the U.S. Army with the goal of arming African American soldiers.

Recurring

 * Wiz Khalifa as Death
 * Samuel Farnsworth as George Gould, a friend of Austin who is romantically interested in Emily
 * Darlene Hunt as Maggie, a maid hired by Edward at the request of Emily
 * Gus Birney as Jane Humphrey, the most popular girl in town
 * Sophie Zucker as Abby Wood, one of Jane's minions
 * Allegra Heart as Abiah Root, one of Jane's minions
 * Kevin Yee as Toshiaki, a friend of Jane's
 * Gus Halper as Joseph Lyman (season 1), the young man in whom Lavinia is interested
 * Jason Mantzoukas as Bee (voice; season 1), one of Emily's hallucinations
 * Robert Picardo as Ithamar Conkey, a townsperson who is a close friend of Mr. Dickinson and who attempts to fall in love with Aunt Lavinia
 * Matt Lauria as Ben Newton (season 1), a law clerk for Mr. Dickinson
 * Jessica Hecht as Aunt Lavinia (seasons 1–2), Emily Norcross Dickinson's sister, and the world-traveling widowed aunt of Emily, Austin, and Lavinia
 * Finn Jones as Samuel Bowles (season 2), the editor of the local paper, the Springfield Republican
 * Pico Alexander as Henry Shipley (season 2), a new lodger at the Dickinson residence, and a former boyfriend of Lavinia
 * Will Pullen as Nobody, and as Frazar Stearns (seasons 2–3), a school friend of Austin's now enrolled at West Point
 * Ayo Edebiri as Hattie (season 2), a Dickinson family maid and a spiritual medium
 * Gabriel Ebert as Thomas Wentworth Higginson (season 3), an abolitionist activist and colonel in the Union's 1st South Carolina Volunteers

Notable guest stars

 * John Mulaney as Henry David Thoreau (in "Alone, I cannot be", "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain")
 * Zosia Mamet as Louisa May Alcott (in "There's a certain Slant of light", "This is My Letter to the World")
 * Timothy Simons as Frederick Law Olmsted (in "The Daisy follows soft the Sun")
 * Kelli Barrett as Adelaide May (in "Split the Lark")
 * Nick Kroll as Edgar Allan Poe (in "I'm Nobody! Who are you?")
 * Ziwe as Sojourner Truth (in "The Soul has Bandaged moments", "The Future never spoke")
 * Billy Eichner as Walt Whitman (in "This is My Letter to the World")
 * Chloe Fineman as Sylvia Plath (in "The Future never spoke")

Development
On May 30, 2018, it was announced that Apple had given the production a straight-to-series order. The series would be written by Alena Smith who was also set to executive produce alongside Paul Lee, David Gordon Green, Michael Sugar, Ashley Zalta, Alex Goldstone, and Darlene Hunt. Green was also expected to direct as well. Production companies involved with the series included and Anonymous Content. In October 2019, The Hollywood Reporter reported Dickinson had been renewed for a second season. In October 2020, the series was renewed for a third season, ahead of the premiere of the second season. In September 2021, it was announced that the third season would be its last and would premiere on November 5, 2021.

Casting
Alongside the initial series announcement, it was confirmed that Hailee Steinfeld would star as Emily Dickinson. On August 29, 2018, it was announced that Jane Krakowski had been cast in a starring role. On September 26, 2018, it was announced that Toby Huss, Anna Baryshnikov, Ella Hunt and Adrian Enscoe had been cast as series regulars. On January 29, 2019, it was reported that Matt Lauria had joined the cast in a recurring capacity. In September 2019, it was announced Wiz Khalifa and John Mulaney had joined the cast of the series. In December 2019, it was announced that Finn Jones and Pico Alexander had been cast in the series. Jones plays Samuel Bowles, a newspaper editor, while Alexander plays Henry "Ship" Shipley, a dropout and boarder of the Dickinson's. Actors Will Poulter and Joe Thomas were considered for the role of Bowles.

Filming
Principal photography for the series commenced on January 7, 2019, in Old Bethpage, New York. In March 2019, it was reported by The New York Times that filming had concluded. In November 2019, Steinfeld confirmed that filming for season two was underway and had been for several months. Filming for season three began on March 17, 2021 and concluded on June 15, 2021

Some scenes were filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. Many scenes from Season 3 were filmed at the Jay Estate in Rye, New York.

Season 1
The first season of Dickinson received generally positive reviews. It holds an approval rating of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 67 reviews, and an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Audacious and aspirational, Dickinson's bold blend of period-drama and millennial milieu definitely won't be for all, but those looking to break free from the doldrums of their viewing life may find some kind of hope in its singular vision." On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the first season has a score of 66 out of 100 based on 29 critics.

Season 2
The second season received universal acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 100% approval rating based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With stronger writing and a never-better Hailee Steinfeld, Dickinson finds surer footing in its second season without losing any of its strange delights." On Metacritic, the second season has a score of 81 out of 100 based on 9 critics.

Season 3
The third and final season also received universal acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 100% approval rating based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Authentically itself to the very last, Dickinson's final season delivers elegant closure like a well-structured stanza." On Metacritic, the third season has a score of 91 out of 100 based on 6 critics.

Accolades
Dickinson won a Peabody Award in the Entertainment category, making it the first show from Apple TV+ to win the prestigious honor.

Audience viewership
Dickinson broke through Parrot Analytics' top 10 most in-demand original streaming shows for the week of November 6, 2019 to November 12, 2019.