The Slap (American miniseries)


The Slap is an American drama television miniseries, which aired on NBC from February 12 to April 2, 2015. It is an adaptation of the Australian series The Slap, which was based on Christos Tsiolkas's 2008 novel The Slap. Each of the show's eight installments told the story of the aftermath of a birthday party from the perspective of a different character. Jon Robin Baitz wrote the teleplay for the series and Lisa Cholodenko directed the pilot episode.

Plot

The miniseries revolves around the aftermath of a birthday party for a middle-aged city employee where Harry Apostolou slaps someone else's misbehaving child, Hugo, after he kicks him in the leg. Hugo's mother, Rosie, insists on criminal charges, claiming that Harry's slap has caused Hugo PTSD. Though Rosie's diagnosis is later undermined when Hugo mentions how much he misses seeing Harry, the case slowly makes its way to court. Each episode tells the story from the perspective of a different character.

Cast

The miniseries was filmed on location in New York City and features Melissa George, who also played the role of Rosie in the original 2011 Australian adaptation of The Slap novel. Direction was by Michael Morris, Lisa Cholodenko, and Ken Olin. The series was written by Jon Robin Baitz, Walter F. Parkes, and Christos Tsiolkas. Costumes were designed by Jennifer von Mayrhauser and art direction was by Alison Ford. Mary-Louise Parker was originally cast as Anouk, but she had to drop out due to pneumonia and was replaced by Uma Thurman.

Episodes

Reception

The Slap received mostly positive reviews from critics. It currently holds a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus being that "Though the characters verge on stereotypes, they are aptly executed by The Slaps bright cast, allowing the show's topical themes to shine through in a provocative, meaningful way."