Apple Will Be Doing Asimov's Foundation

Demerzel in the show presents in female form and has as long as the Cleonic Dynasty has gone on, but also alludes to having had different faces and names in the past. She is a self-repairing android and believes herself to be the last surviving android for the Robot Wars (which I THINK is just the producers integrating Asimov's robot stories into the distant history of this galaxy)

but yeah, from what I've read, a LOT of what makes this show so good was created for the show and has little if any connection to the novels.

Asimov’s Robot stories and Foundation stories actually do connect, although that was something he added in when he revisited both series decades later.

I don’t know how much this will inform your viewing of the show but if you are curious about the timeline…

Robot Short Stories (late 20th century-24th century)
Robot Novels (3000 years in the future)
Empire Novels (20,000 years in the future)
Foundation Novels (50,000 years in the future)

Something like that. He never gave exact dates, this is just what has been pieced together from what he has written.

Spacers were an offshoot of the human race that developed on worlds from the first wave of galactic colonization. They eventually retreated and possibly went extinct as they were overtaken by a second and much large wave of colonization that eventually spread throughout the galaxy and over many thousands of years coalesced into the Galactic Empire.

Robots were integral in the development of hyperspace travel but were later abandoned and then forgotten about by the galaxy at large. Sort of like how Thinking Machines were eradicated in the Dune series.

There was a mutant named The Mule who had special abilities that allowed him to completely wreck the Foundation and Seldon’s Plan (which dealt with mass human sociology and could not account for individuals).

There was a Second Foundation which was hidden away and eventually came into conflict with the First Foundation. I don’t know if the show goes into this… maybe in future seasons?

The second foundation is introduced in the second season. It seems like they’re taking everything from the novels and compressing the timeline.

The Mule is the central focus of next season. The series has already set up the groundwork for the Second Foundation (related to the Mentalics, at least initially) but not as a point of conflict yet.

So I read some episode synopses on wikipedia about this show and it really is telling a very different story with some common names, places, and larger themes.

I am surprised at how many of the characters have been gender swapped/race swapped. I personally don’t care about that sort of thing, even as someone very fond of and very familiar with the source material.

It is an adaptation and they are free to change whatever they like, just as with any other franchise.

I wonder if this show is escaping the ‘woke garbage’ attack because most people watching aren’t familiar with the books?

But how is this any different from Perry White being played by a black actor or Starbuck being changed to a woman? Who decides what is ‘woke’ and what isn’t?

This is not a personal attack against anyone, just an observation.

Yeah, I don't think the average person knows Salvor Hardin was a cigar chomping dude's dude, or that Hober Mallow wasn't...okay, I actually can't remember much about Hober Mallow. Characterization wasn't Asimov's forte.

If they ever adapted the later Foundation books, I could totally see Trevize as a woman. Might actually fit better. Pelorat, though, he should stay male. Just because he's a fucking doofus and I like him the way he is.

Pelorat did get to literally fuck an entire planet!

Things are getting messy behind-the-scenes on Apple's Foundation show

Thing were getting messy front of house.

Goyer has said that he had season three already written when the strike began so hopefully they went with that. He also said that they had mapped out the rest of the show so hopefully they stick with that general story.

How so?

Foundation Recasts The Mule for Season 3 With Game of Thrones Actor