Lady in the Lake (TV series)

2024 American miniseries

Lady in the Lake

Genre|

* Period drama
* Mystery

Created by| Alma Har'el
Based on| Lady in the Lake
by Laura Lippman
Written by|

* Alma Har'el
* Briana Belser
* Nambi E. Kelley
* Boaz Yakin
* Sheila Wilson

Directed by| Alma Har'el
Starring|

* Natalie Portman
* Moses Ingram
* Y'lan Noel
* Brett Gelman
* Byron Bowers
* Noah Jupe
* Josiah Cross
* Mikey Madison
* Pruitt Taylor Vince

Theme music composer| Marcus Norris
Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
No. of episodes| 7
Production
Executive producers|

* Alma Har'el
* Natalie Portman
* Boaz Yakin
* Amy Kaufman
* Christopher Leggett
* Jean-Marc Vallée
* Nathan Ross
* Julie Gardner
* Laura Lippman
* Sophie Mas
* Layne Eskridge

Producers|

* Amanda Lencioni
* Sheila Wilson

Production locations| Baltimore, Maryland
Cinematography| Lachlan Milne
Editors|

* Alma Har’el
* Yael Hersonski
* Dominic LaPerriere

Running time| 44–54 minutes
Production companies|

* Bad Wolf America
* Crazyrose
* Zusa
* MountainA
* Fifth Season

Original release
Network| Apple TV+
Release| July 19 (2024-07-19) –
August 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)

Lady in the Lake is an American period drama television miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Laura Lippman. The series premiered on Apple TV+ on July 19, 2024.[1] It is set during the 1960s.

Lady in the Lake begins in Baltimore, with the disappearance of a young Jewish girl, Tessie Durst at a Christmas parade. The two lead characters are Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), a Jewish housewife and mother, and Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), an African-American mother, wife and bartender. Tessie's disappearance and Cleo's murder mystery tap into Maddie's latent journalistic instincts.

The series was generally well received, with Portman and Ingram receiving acclaim for their performances.

## Premise

[edit]

In 1960s Baltimore, Maddie Schwartz, an investigative journalist, working on an unsolved murder clashes with a woman working to advance the agenda of the city's Black community. Maddie ditches her overbearing husband and Pikesville home to pursue a career as a newspaper reporter. She becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery of two separate killings: eleven-year-old Tessie Durst and a bartender named Cleo Johnson.[2]

## Cast

[edit]

### Main

[edit]

* Natalie Portman as Maddie Schwartz
* Moses Ingram as Cleo Johnson
* Y'lan Noel as Ferdie Platt
* Brett Gelman as Milton Schwartz
* Byron Bowers as Slappy Johnson
* Noah Jupe as Seth Schwartz
* Josiah Cross as Reggie Robinson
* Mikey Madison as Judith Weinstein
* Pruitt Taylor Vince as Bob Bauer

### Recurring

[edit]

* Wood Harris as Shell Gordon
* Dylan Arnold as Stephen Zawadzkie
* Tyrik Johnson as Teddy
* David Corenswet as Allan Durst
* Charlie Hofheimer as Wallace White
* Ronnie Gene Blevins as Officer Boško
* Mindy Goldberg as Tattie Morgenstern

### Guest

[edit]

* Jennifer Mogbock as Dora Carter
* Bianca Belle as Tessie Durst
* Veralyn Jones as Merva
* Mark Feuerstein as Hal Durst
* Angela Robinson as Myrtle Summer
* Samir Royal as Lionel Johnson
* Hallie Samuels as Mrs. Durst
* Masha Mashkova as Ms. Zawadzkie
* Nikiva Dionne as Patrice Murphy
* David Johnson III as Officer Percy Davis
* Selema Masekela as Cedrick
* Rebecca Spence as Louise Durst
* Daniel London as Dr. Kornblatt
* Sean Ringgold as The Prophet

## Episodes

[edit]

No.| Title| Directed by [3]| Teleplay by [4]| Original release date [5]

|
|
|
|

1| "Did you know seahorses are fish?"| Alma Har'el| Alma Har'el| July 19, 2024 (2024-07-19)
2| "It has to do with the search for the marvelous."| Alma Har'el| Alma Har'el| July 19, 2024 (2024-07-19)
3| "I was the first to see her dead. You were the last to see her alive."| Alma Har'el| Briana Belser| July 26, 2024 (2024-07-26)
4| "Innocence leaves when you discover cruelty. First in others, then in yourself."| Alma Har'el| Nambi E. Kelley| August 2, 2024 (2024-08-02)
5| "Every time someone turns up dead in that lake, it does seem to lead to you."| Alma Har'el| Boaz Yakin| August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09)
6| "I know who killed Cleo Johnson."| Alma Har'el| Sheila Wilson and Alma Har'el| August 16, 2024 (2024-08-16)
7| "My story."| Alma Har'el| Boaz Yakin| August 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)

## Production

[edit]

### Writing

[edit]

The television series is based on the novel of the same name. Laura Lippman, the author, took inspiration from two real-life murders that happened in her youth.[2] The first was the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Esther Lebowitz, a White Jewish girl whose death was heavily publicized.[6][7][8] The second death was 33-year-old Shirley Parker, a Black woman who was found dead in the fountain of the Druid Hill Park Reservoir.[9] Parker's death was only given attention in African-American newspapers, specifically the Baltimore Afro-American.[10]

### Casting

[edit]

The miniseries was given the greenlight in March 2021, with Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong'o set to star, and Alma Har'el set to direct all episodes of the series.[3] In April 2022, Y'Lan Noel, Mikey Madison and Brett Gelman were added to the cast.[11] In May 2022, Nyong'o exited the series.[12][13] Moses Ingram would be cast to replace her in June.[14] Noah Jupe, Mike Epps, Byron Bowers. Josiah Cross and Pruitt Taylor Vince would be added in July.[15]

### Filming

[edit]

Filming began in April 2022,[11] with production taking place in Baltimore.[16] Production paused briefly in late August 2022, when the production purportedly received threats of violence while filming in the city.[17] Police investigation showed the threats to have been unsubstantiated.[18]

## Reception

[edit]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 77% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 61 critic reviews. Natalie Portman received critical acclaim for her acting performance in the miniseries.[19] The website's critics consensus reads, "Dense with intriguing drama if too muddled by digressions and stylistic flourishes, Lady in the Lake is a well-acted mystery with a lot on its mind."[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 61 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

### Accolades

[edit]

The series was nominated at the 23rd Visual Effects Society Awards in the category of Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode.[22]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Cordero, Rosy (May 8, 2024). "'Lady In The Lake' Sets Apple TV+ Premiere; Reveals First-Look Image". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
2. ^ a b Tkacik, Christina (July 23, 2019). "How 2 unrelated deaths from 1969 inspired Baltimore crime novelist Laura Lippman's 'Lady in the Lake'". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
3. ^ a b White, Peter (March 10, 2021). "Natalie Portman & Lupita Nyong'o To Star In 'Lady In The Lake' Series At Apple From Alma Har'el, Dre Ryan, Jean-Marc Vallée, Bad Wolf & Endeavor Content". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
4. ^ "Lady in the Lake - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
5. ^ "Shows A-Z – Lady in the Lake on Apple TV+". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
6. ^ Rodricks, Dan (April 17, 2014). "A true detective remembers the Lebowitz case". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
7. ^ "Young Gets Life For Killing Girl". The Baltimore Sun. November 13, 1970. ProQuest 541230983. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
8. ^ George, Justin (April 25, 2014). "Man denied new trial in 1969 murder of 11-year-old: Death of Esther Lebowitz". The Baltimore Sun. ProQuest 1518888380. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
9. ^ "How Did Shirley Get Into Park's Lake Fountain?: Funeral held but death is still mystery". Baltimore Afro-American. June 14, 1969. ProQuest 532203974. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
10. ^ "Remembering the 'Lady In The Lake' 52 Years Later". Baltimore Afro-American. May 11, 2017. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022.
11. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (April 26, 2022). "Lady In The Lake: Y'Lan Noel, Mikey Madison, Brett Gelman Join Apple Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
12. ^ Otterson, Joe (May 20, 2022). "Lupita Nyong'o Exits 'Lady in the Lake' Series at Apple (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
13. ^ Petski, Denise (May 20, 2022). "Lupita Nyong'o Exits 'Lady In The Lake' Apple Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
14. ^ White, Peter (June 23, 2022). "Moses Ingram Joins Apple Limited Series Lady In The Lake, Replacing Lupita Nyong'o Alongside Natalie Portman". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
15. ^ White, Peter (July 7, 2022). "Noah Jupe & Mike Epps Among Cast Joining Apple Series Lady In The Lake". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
16. ^ "Natalie Portman, Lupita Nyong'o To Begin Filming Apple TV's Lady In The Lake Adaptation In Baltimore, Author Says". WJZ-TV. April 22, 2022. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
17. ^ Murphy, J. Kim (August 28, 2022). "Lady in the Lake Filming Halted in Baltimore After Apple TV+ Production Threatened With Shooting". Variety. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
18. ^ Fenton, Justin (August 30, 2022). "Police scale back accusations related to alleged threat on set of 'Lady in the Lake'". the-baltimore-banner. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
19. ^ Mangan, Lucy (July 19, 2024). "Lady in the Lake review – Natalie Portman's TV debut is absolutely impeccable". The Guardian.
20. ^ "Lady in the Lake: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
21. ^ "Lady in the Lake: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
22. ^ Pederson, Erik (January 14, 2025). "VES Awards Nominations: Sandworms, Apes, Felines & Tornadoes Vie For Top Film Prize". Deadline. Retrieved January 14, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Lady in the Lake at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Apple TV+ originals

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