You raise several valid points in favor of the more historical approach. One problem with it that I see would be the necessity of having to explain to people not brought up then, just how scandalous an extra-marital affair was then. Similarly, showing a world without many of our present-day innovations would require similar explanation. One movie that I thought did a good job with similar requirements, while also introducing some sf elements, was "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow."

Its got to be in the future, and needs to show the collapse of our society and to take off where AS left off- the rebuilding and reconstruction phase. That puts a positive spin on things

Trouble with neflix binge watching is that its only available when they cant get any more money out of the project. Its just not economically feasible to make a bunch of episodes that take months and millions to make only to have people binge watch in a week or two for $8.99 a month. I love Netflix and loved JERICHO, BREAKING BAD, and many others.They started a revolution- now I dont watch series on TV. I wait till its on Netflix

Actually, if you want a real time series- just do a documentary of present day Venezuela to see how a country disintegrates. The problem in making an Atlas shrugged series will be to have it relate to people today without being too pedantic. Otherwise, it wont be widely watched.
Two of the best movies/series dealing with economic collapses were JERICHO and ALONGSIDE NIGHT, both of which seemed to be failures (Jericho only lasted two seasons and Alongside Night isnt even on DVD or online any more). The story of Atlas Shrugged isnt very popular, since it glorifies basically the very people our current culture demonizes.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up! Present day or the day after tomorrow. In the 50's it was no more than a concept, now it's reality!!

Wow, It took me over an hour to read this whole thread. Having completed that task, I can see that there is a significant split between the 50's period setting viewpoint and the Day after Tomorrow theme. I suspect Scott anticipated this when posing the question.

Here is my take. I am one of the older set that first read AS and then everything I could get my hands on written by Ayn Rand back in the 60's. I have engrained images generated from my own imagination fueled by the times. When John Galt appeared in Part III as disheveled, shirt tail hanging out, with the presently-in-vogue-look of a 5 day stubble face, that fell flat with me. I would still maintain that an individual of John Galt's stature would display more self respect than that. I think back to Gary Cooper's presentation of Howard Roark as a better example.

Having said that, having the setting of the story brought forward to the present or the near impending future was absolutely effective in making the timelessness of the message completely relevant. This is a must.

A more full blown mini series should also bring it forward, but also keep the structure of the tome intact. However, weaving in the high points of the last 60 years of history would augment the impact of the story. Particularly of going off the gold standard, the accelerated printing of fiat money, the rise of the bureaucracies, the trashing of the constitution by phone and pen, and the militarization of local police. As examples.

This will be a very challenging undertaking and let it take however long and however many episodes to get it right. The obvious experience of the negative effect of changing the cast can be considered a hard lesson won and incorporate it into the contracts of the willing actors. With all the successful mini-series out there like Mad Men and Downton Abbey, character recognition is a huge appeal.

All power to the effort!

L.Neil Smith's "Probability Broach" or something similar would do the trick.

To me, AS was written for people who want to create something. With the bureaucracy today, of course, starting a company is more expensive and riskier than it's ever been, so a lot of people who might have done it 200 years ago haven't dared.

Perhaps our movement needs its own variant of Kickstarter.

I was particularly fascinated by Alan Falk's (plusaf) thoughts and think there is the possibility for a much greater series that has the potential of actualizing Ayn Rand's motivating vision. Setting the series as today with flashbacks to "how we got here" would seem to have significant merit. Such an approach would eventually present current situations being considered in the light of Rand's philosophies. It would provide for the development of a team of Galt's heroes confronting moochers of the day to slowly dig civilization out,crisis by crisis. Ayn Rand already wrote Atlas Shrugged and the movie has been made - what is left is the application of her philosophies to current problems. Such an effort would require writers of Ayn Rand's talent, but surely our culture has produced such. It could become very political, but also very educational if a reverence for truth is accepted as the guiding principle.

Whatever is done, it will be great to have something of value on TV again!

I grew up in the 1940's and 50's.Ayn Rand had some great insight into the future.That was not what the 50's were like. The TV show must In the 2000's where all her writings are coming true.The youth of today need to see this in their own time frame for it to make an impression.

I like the idea of the day after but do not know how Dagny and the trains and steel mills would be handled. Therefore I would vote for a 1950 setting.

I would definitely place the series in the present technology-wise. I wouldn't reference specific dates as that can become cheesy. The series should lead a viewer to think "this is my world, oh shit".

When I think of turning Atlas into a moive, it seems so simple. After all, Rand provides the settings, the characters and the dialogue. Of course, including each and every character and event will take time. More time and, perhaps, money than anyone has. Perhaps starting the series exactly as Rand wrote the book and asking viewers to help fund its continuation. BBC's Masterpiece depends on support from viewers and othe donors [I know this from watching' Island At War', a program that was unable to complete a fina lseason for lack of funds] As I am on a fixed income, I cannot contribute a lot but there are lots of Atlas readers out there. Add to that the viewers who would want to see What's Next and the money just might materialize. I think the really important thing is to get Rand's message clear in every possible way.

Wow! Wonderful news!
As much as I would like to see a period piece, I think it needs to be set in "the day after tomorrow". People unfamiliar with Rand will be better able to relate to it and see the parallels with their own lives.
And please keep the cast the same throughout! The constant changes would be too jarring.
Will you be funding it through another Kickstarter program? I think most of us would love the opportunity to help with this, as with the movies.

You might want to insert something before every episode. Something like "Atlas Shrugged was originally written by Ayn Rand in 1957."
Just imagine, someone unfamiliar with Rand's philosophy watching this and seeing all the parallels happening today. Everything she predicted coming true now. Imagine their horror.
It might spur people into action, to try to get our country back on track.
This is so exciting!

Damn, you actually scared me then made me laugh, as I read your P.S. It gave me chills. You must have a weird sense of humor.

It could even take place about today, basically starting in about 2007. I'm just not sure where the conservative side of the story would come from. Would it have to be fictional?

I'm glad you qualified your statement.

Exceptionally well stated. That is pretty much what I was INTENDING to say.

I was trying to be succinct. In doing so, I was not clear. In this case the 1%ers are people who believe they can make things happen, desire individual liberty and freedom. AS was written for everyone (many just don't know it). As written AS, I believe, does not naturally stretch to those who could be freedom loving, individual liberty seekers -- the audience we need to reach if this project is going to be part of saving the last,best hope for mankind. While many people define 1%ers financially, I am defining them as you do yourself (the one percent who make it happen). Harriet Tubman (I think) said she had saved a thousand people from slavery and that she would have saved another thousand if they had realized they were slaves. Over in the FairTax effort, it is noted: one per cent make it happen, nine percent watch it happen and 90 per cent say, "when the hell did that happen?"
As a mini series AS needs to reach those people who are moochers who don't know it. They don't know any different.
I certainly didn't mean to be exclusive of those of us who do not have the financial resources to be one the 1%er BHO rails against.
My apologies for the confusion.

Wonderful and exciting news. The mini-series would be more relevant and attract more viewers, in my humble opinion, if set "the day after tomorrow." The more real, the more hinged on current events the more it will attract our current "reality" based audience. Not to say a reality series, but rather more like "House of Cards" which has proven the method works. This will be a great mini-series. Looking forward to enjoying it with my friends and family. Best wishes!!

I loved the modernization of Atlas Shrugged...and Ayn would have approved.
She wrote philosophically, not historically.
The ideas contained in Atlas are even more relevant today than they were in 1957.
I, for one, am delighted with the thought of a mini-series and would love to try out for a part.

I, too, agree vociferously!!

Rather than a mini-series, make it a three, 13 episode seasons.
For some insight into making this please read "A Reader's Guide to Atlas Shrugged" published in "The Tracinski Letter" https://www.tracinskiletter.com/

Part 1: https://www.tracinskiletter.com/2013/04/...

Part 2: https://www.tracinskiletter.com/2013/06/...

Part 3: https://www.tracinskiletter.com/2013/09/...

Part 4: https://www.tracinskiletter.com/2013/10/...

Part 5: https://www.tracinskiletter.com/2014/08/...

I suggest a way to explain that. A runaway Constitutional convention creates a unicameral Legislature and a Head of State who, at his sole discretion, makes or breaks federal judges. In essence, he combines the Presidency with the Chief Justiceship of the United States.

Mini series? Absolutely! Because of the current political atmosphere I would definitely opt for "the day after tomorrow" scenario. If the "Tea Party" members of today were at the first Tea Party in Boston, we would still be under British rule. P.S. Get Taylor Schilling.

I feel it should be "the day after tomorrow" as it is happening now. Hopefully "they" will allow it to be produced. Not fiction anymore.