| The Night Of | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Richard Price Steven Zaillian |
| Based on | Criminal Justice byPeter Moffat |
| Written by | Richard Price Steven Zaillian |
| Directed by | Steven Zaillian James Marsh |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Jeff Russo[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original languages |
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| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
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| Production locations | |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 56–96 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | July 10 (2016-07-10) – August 28, 2016 (2016-08-28) |
The Night Of is a 2016 American eight-partcrime dramaminiseries based on the first series ofCriminal Justice, a 2008 British series.[2] The miniseries was written byRichard Price andSteven Zaillian (based on the originalCriminal Justice plot byPeter Moffat), and directed by Zaillian andJames Marsh.[3] Broadcast onHBO,The Night Of premiered on July 10, 2016 to critical acclaim.[4][5] The first episode premiered on June 24, 2016, viaHBO's on-demand services.[6]The Night Of received 14 Emmy nominations, winning five, includingOutstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series forRiz Ahmed.
On September 19, 2012, it was announced that HBO had ordered a pilot based on the British television seriesCriminal Justice.James Gandolfini was set to star,Richard Price would write the project, andSteven Zaillian would direct.[8] On February 19, 2013, HBO passed on the project.[9] However, on May 13, 2013, HBO reversed course, picking upCriminal Justice as a seven-part limited series.[10] After Gandolfini's death on June 19, 2013, it was reported that the miniseries would move forward in his honor, and thatRobert De Niro was set to replace Gandolfini.[11] On April 21, 2014,John Turturro replaced De Niro because of scheduling conflicts.[2] On March 11, 2016, it was announced that the project would premiere in the middle of 2016 under the titleThe Night Of. Gandolfini retains a posthumous executive producer credit.[4]
In July 2016, Steven Zaillian commented about the possibility of a second season: "We're thinking about it and if we come up with something we all feel is worthy of doing, we'll do it. This was designed as a stand-alone piece. That being said, there are ways of certainly kind of taking what it feels like and what it's about and doing another season on another subject."[12] In April 2017, Zaillian again commented on the possibility of a second season, saying: "Listen, we would love to do it, and when I say 'we,' I mean [co-creator] Richard Price and myself. If we can come up with something that we fall in love with, we'll do it. If we don't, we won't."[13] In August 2017, John Turturro talked about the possibility of returning for season two: "We've been talking. So we'll see. I would be very interested because I felt that character offered something really rich. I'm hoping that that will come to fruition."[14]
In January 2020, John Turturro stated that new episodes ofThe Night Of are still a possibility: "We have a couple of ideas but we have to sit down and discuss them, so we're at that stage so that's good."[15]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Beach" | Steven Zaillian | Richard Price | June 24, 2016 (2016-06-24)(online) July 10, 2016 (2016-07-10)(HBO) | 0.774[16] | |
In October 2014, Nasir "Naz" Khan is a naive Pakistani-American college student living in Queens, New York. After stealing his father's cab one night with the intention to attend a popular party, Naz picks up a young woman, Andrea, and ends up cancelling his plans to attend the party so he can spend the evening with her. After a night of sex and drugs with Andrea, Naz wakes and finds her stabbed to death in her bedroom; he has no recollection of what happened. Naz leaves the scene but is arrested for a minor traffic violation shortly thereafter. At the station, he declines to answer calls to his mobile phone from his parents, who are worried about him and trying to reach him. When searching Naz, the police find a knife matching the suspected murder weapon in his pocket, and witnesses identify him. Naz is interrogated by detective Dennis Box and eventually asks for a lawyer, but one is not provided, until world-weary defense attorney John Stone hears of the case and steps in to represent Naz. | ||||||
| 2 | "Subtle Beast" | Steven Zaillian | Richard Price | July 17, 2016 (2016-07-17) | 1.28[17] | |
Stone continues to tell Naz to stop telling him "the truth" of what happened and to keep quiet. Det. Box returns to the crime scene to gather more evidence. He has Don Taylor, Andrea's stepfather, come in and identify the body, which Taylor does reluctantly. Det. Box questions him to get any possible information. Naz is visited by his parents in the precinct, and their conversation is recorded. Det. Box talks with Naz again, and when Naz won't make a confession, he charges him with homicide. Naz is then sent to Manhattan Central Booking, next to arraignment court, where he pleads not guilty, and finally toRikers Island to await prosecution. | ||||||
| 3 | "A Dark Crate" | Steven Zaillian | Richard Price | July 24, 2016 (2016-07-24) | 1.20[18] | |
Naz is processed at Rikers Island. Stone speaks with Naz's parents regarding legal fees and offers aflat fee of $50,000, but they can't afford him. Another attorney, Alison Crowe, interested in the media attention on the case, offers the Khans her servicespro bono. Naz's father, who shares the taxi with two others, is unable to work due to the taxi being evidence in the crime, and his only option of getting it back would be to filegrand theft charges against his son. Stone visits Naz in prison, where he learns that he's no longer Naz's lawyer. Freddy, an inmate with special privileges, offers his protection to Naz, but he declines. In the middle of the night, Naz uses the bathroom, and when he comes back, he finds his bed set on fire. | ||||||
| 4 | "The Art of War" | James Marsh | Richard Price | July 31, 2016 (2016-07-31) | 1.34[19] | |
After having his arm cut by another prisoner, Naz meets with Freddy again, and Freddy tells him he wants to help Naz because Naz's intelligence is refreshing. Later, Naz witnesses Freddy beat a prisoner up in the exercise room. Meanwhile, Stone attends Andrea's funeral and learns about a drug rehab center she attended. He pays off a man named Edgar for her files. Crowe meets with Naz and tries to convince him to accept aplea bargain, agreeing to a lesser charge ofmanslaughter and a 15-year sentence. However, Crowe's assistant, Chandra, encourages him to refuse. At the hearing, Naz voids the plea and maintains his innocence. Crowe drops the case and hands it over to Chandra before informing the Khans that it will no longer be pro bono. After the hearing, Naz is attacked by Calvin, a prisoner he had earlier befriended. He finally decides to ask Freddy for protection. | ||||||
| 5 | "The Season of the Witch" | Steven Zaillian | Richard Price & Steven Zaillian | August 7, 2016 (2016-08-07) | 1.37[20] | |
Now under the protection of Freddy, Naz has his own personal cell. Later, Freddy has Calvin laid down in the shower for Naz to retaliate for what he did. Naz brutally beats Calvin after he calls Naz a "faggot". Stone officially joins Chandra on the case after working out a fee. Det. Box makes a map of Naz's movements from the night of and shares it with Helen Weiss, the prosecutor. In the surveillance camera footage, Weiss sees Naz accept Andrea as a passenger after refusing two men, suggesting premeditation. They also discover that Naz hadamphetamines in his system, which Andrea did not. Meanwhile, Naz smuggles cocaine into Rikers for Freddy. One of the witnesses, Trevor Williams, is brought in again for questioning. After learning from Naz that there was another man with Trevor (which Trevor had lied about), Stone questions Trevor about the other man. He finds out it's Duane Reade, a man with a criminal record who always uses a knife. Stone goes after Reade, but loses him in a foot chase. | ||||||
| 6 | "Samson and Delilah" | Steven Zaillian | Richard Price & Steven Zaillian | August 14, 2016 (2016-08-14) | 1.41[21] | |
Naz's parents are forced to take menial jobs as a result of fallout from his case. Freddy gives Naz a cell phone, both to talk to his family as well as a way to receive bribes from other prisoners for its use. Det. Box learns from Naz's high school basketball coach that Naz transferred to another high school after he pushed another boy down a flight of stairs, seemingly unprovoked; Naz defends his actions as a lashing out against bullying afterSeptember 11. Meanwhile, Chandra views security footage from the night of and sees a hearse driver, Mr. Day, who spoke to Andrea and later followed Naz out of a gas station. She speaks to him and he explains that he viewed Andrea as predatory and similar toDelilah; Chandra becomes suspicious of him. Stone learns that Andrea was able to live in an upscale townhouse due to wealth from her late mother, Evelyn. He speaks to Evelyn's financial adviser, who tells him that Andrea's stepfather, Don, has a violent history and is known for attempting to siphon wealth from much older women. Stone also learns that shortly before Andrea died, she refused to give Don her portion of Evelyn's wealth. Stone finds Don in a gym, training and flirting with an older woman. | ||||||
| 7 | "Ordinary Death" | Steven Zaillian | Richard Price & Steven Zaillian | August 21, 2016 (2016-08-21) | 1.76[22] | |
At Naz's trial, a doctor who had been prepped by Weiss testifies that the wounds on Naz's hand implicate him in a multiple stabbing. However, Dr. Katz, another medical expert, disputes the claims. It is also revealed that Naz injured a second boy in high school, and in college, he soldAdderall to other students for a significant profit. Stone learns more suspicious information about Don and joins his gym in an attempt to spy on him. Don discovers this, and threatens Stone and his family to stay away. During a meeting, Chandra and Naz kiss, which Chandra regrets immediately. Meanwhile, Stone becomes suspicious about Box's removal of Naz's inhaler from the crime scene andsubpoenas him. During the resulting testimony, Chandra tells Box she believes he doubts Naz's guilt. Naz finds a young prisoner named Petey, who was earlier raped by another prisoner named Victor, has committed suicide. Naz tells Freddy, who kills Victor with a razor. | ||||||
| 8 | "The Call of the Wild" | Steven Zaillian | Richard Price & Steven Zaillian | August 28, 2016 (2016-08-28) | 2.16[23] | |
Trevor, Reade, Day, and Don testify at Naz's trial, and each proclaim their innocence. Against Stone's wishes, Naz testifies, and it goes poorly; he forgets certain details and even expresses doubts over his own innocence. Freddy sends Stone a tape of Naz and Chandra kissing in hopes of forcing amistrial, but it only results in Crowe firing Chandra and Stone being made lead attorney. Meanwhile, Det. Box learns from security footage that Andrea was being followed by a man he eventually identifies as Ray Halle, Evelyn's financial adviser; Box believes Halle was Andrea's boyfriend. Halle also had violent tendencies and was seen at the scene of the crime. Box speaks with Halle and brings the evidence to Weiss, but she chooses to continue with the trial. Stone prepares his closing arguments while battling a recurrence of his eczema. After Stone's closing, the jury becomes deadlocked, leading Weiss to drop the charges against Naz. Naz returns home to tense relationships with his family and friends, continuing his drug habits from prison. Box and Weiss pursue Halle. Stone goes to meet with his next potential client. | ||||||
The Night Of received critical acclaim. OnMetacritic, it has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim" based on 40 reviews.[24] It has a score of 94% onRotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 8.6/10 based on 88 reviews; its consensus reads, "The Night Of is a richly crafted, exquisitely performed mystery that will keep viewers enthralled and leave them devastated."[25]
IGN reviewer Jesse Schedeen gave the entire miniseries an 8.9 out of 10 "Great" score, writing, "With only a couple of exceptions, this summer hasn't been the greatest when it comes to new TV series, which makesThe Night Of's brief run all the more special. This limited series did little to shake up the formula when it [comes to] crime dramas, but it was distinguished by its amazing cast and the pervasive tension that drove the series from start to finish."[26]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Camerimage | Best Pilot | Robert Elswit(for "The Beach") | Won | [27] |
2017 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television | Jay Cassidy(for "The Beach") | Nominated | [28] |
| American Film Institute Awards | Top 10 Television Programs of the Year | Won | [29] | ||
| American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Television Movie, Miniseries, or Pilot | Igor Martinovic(for "Subtle Beast") | Won | [30] | |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-series | Patrizia von Brandenstein, Fredda Slavin, Bobby Berg, Hudson Meredith, Peter Hackman, and Melanie J. Baker(for "The Beach") | Won | [31] | |
| Banff World Media Festival | Television Miniseries | Won | [32] | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series | Michael Kenneth Williams | Nominated | [33] | |
| British Academy Television Awards | Best International Programme | Steven Zaillian,Richard Price, and Jane Tranter | Nominated | [34] | |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries | Steven Zaillian(for "The Beach") | Won | [35] | |
| Dorian Awards | TV Performance of the Year – Actor | Riz Ahmed | Nominated | [36] | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated | [37] | ||
| Best Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television | Riz Ahmed | Nominated | |||
| John Turturro | Nominated | ||||
| Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Long Form Dialogue and ADR in Television | Nicholas Renbeck, Odin Benitez, Sara Stern, Luciano Vignola, and Marissa Littlefield(for "The Beach") | Won | [38] | |
| Humanitas Prize | 60 Minute Network or Syndicated Television | Richard Price and Steven Zaillian (for "The Call of the Wild") | Nominated | [39] | |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special | Nominated | [40] | ||
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Limited Series | Nominated | [41] | ||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Riz Ahmed | Won | |||
| John Turturro | Nominated | ||||
| Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Editing in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Music in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Production Design in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Sound in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
| Peabody Awards | Entertainment | HBO Entertainment in association with BBC,Bad Wolf Productions, and Film Rites | Nominated | [42] | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited Series | Steven Zaillian, Richard Price, Jane Tranter, Garrett Basch, andScott Ferguson | Nominated | [43] | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Riz Ahmed | Won | |||
| John Turturro | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Bill Camp | Nominated | |||
| Michael Kenneth Williams | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | James Marsh(for "The Art of War") | Nominated | |||
| Steven Zaillian(for "The Beach") | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Richard Price and Steven Zaillian (for "The Call of the Wild") | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special | Avy Kaufman and Sabrina Hyman | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie | Fred Elmes(for "Ordinary Death") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie | Jay Cassidy and Nick Houy(for "The Beach") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special | Nicholas Renbeck, Marissa Littlefield, Steve Visscher, Ruth Hernandez, Sara Stern, Luciano Vignola, Odin Benitez, Wyatt Sprague, Roland Vajs, Ruy Garcia, Warren Shaw, Heather Gross, Dan Evans Farkas, Grant Conway, and Marko Costanzo(for "Subtle Beast") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie | Michael Barry, Nicholas Renbeck, Felix Andrew, and Larry Hoff(for "The Beach") | Won | |||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television | Steven Zaillian, Richard Price, Jane Tranter, Garrett Basch, and Scott Ferguson | Nominated | [44] | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated | [45] | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Riz Ahmed | Nominated | [46] | |
| John Turturro | Nominated | ||||
| Society Of Camera Operators Awards | Camera Operator of the Year – Television | Ben Semanoff and Bruce MacCallum | Nominated | [47] | |
| Television Academy Honors | Won | [48] | |||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Nominated | [49] | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Long Form – Adapted | Richard Price and Steven Zaillian; Based on the TV seriesCriminal Justice created byPeter Moffat | Nominated | [50] | |
2018 | Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Limited Series | Avy Kaufman, Sabrina Hyman, and Susanne Scheel | Nominated | [51] |
In the United States, TV ratings grew over the course of its eight-episode run, with daily ratings tripling between the premiere and season finale.[52] The premiere episode drew 2.1 million viewers, before increasing to an average gross audience of 8.2 million viewers on HBO.[53]
In the United Kingdom, where it aired in September 2016, the first episode drew 468,000 viewers onSky Atlantic.[54] The show eventually drew an audience of 2.5 million viewers acrossSky'sOn Demand platforms.[55]