When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, it spewed molten rock, pumice, and hot ash over the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, killing thousands of people. This devastating event has been extensively documented, but National Geographic’s new three-part docuseries, Pompeii: Out of Time, takes a unique approach to telling the story.
Actor Tom Hiddleston, known for his roles in Marvel movies, stars as a ‘time detective’ who brings the people of Pompeii to life. The idea for the series was sparked by Hiddleston’s connection to the Marvel universe. Executive producer Kevin Wright, also a producer on the Disney+ series Loki, was inspired by a scene where Hiddleston’s character travels through time to visit Pompeii.
Wright was impressed by Hiddleston’s passion for storytelling and his personal experience with the city, having studied classics at Cambridge University and visited the Pompeii archaeological site as a teenager. In Pompeii: Out of Time, Hiddleston focuses on three individuals – a teenage boy, a local businesswoman, and a Praetorian guard – and follows them over the city’s final 24 hours to discover whether they survived.
The series combines historical and scientific facts with dramatic scenes and high production values, making it feel more cinematic than traditional documentaries. The approach is unusual, but Wright believes that using imagination can make the story more human.
‘This isn’t just ancient history; these were real people, and their lives were not dramatically different than ours even though they lived 2,000 years ago,’ he said. Wright credits Hiddleston with introducing the concept of ‘historia,’ which combines imagination and historical fact.
The series also features geologist and science communicator Chris Jackson, who clears up misconceptions about the eruption and its aftermath. He explains that people were not killed by lava, but rather by pyroclastic flows, which would have been moving at speeds of 100-200 kilometers per hour (60-120 mph).
‘You can’t outrun a car. So there was no way you were going to outrun these things,’ Jackson said. The eruption had a lasting impact on the geography of the Bay of Naples, changing the shoreline shape and triggering a small tsunami.
However, Wright notes that another volcano, Campi Flegrei, is also responsible for some of the strange shapes in the bay. ‘Nobody makes TV shows about Campi Flegrei, but that’s a supervolcano,’ Jackson said.
The production team had to be precise with their budget and planning to bring the story to life. Wright credits showrunner Tom Barbor-Might with keeping the vision intact throughout the process. Despite not having a Marvel budget, they managed to create an engaging and visually stunning series.
Pompeii: Out of Time is a unique blend of history, science, and drama that brings the people of Pompeii to life in a way that feels both personal and cinematic.
Source: Original article