'Limetown': Jessica Biel's Facebook Watch series investigates the mysterious disappearance of 326 townspeople, here's why you must watch it
It was on July 25, 2016, that the fictional podcast series released its first episode. Written and directed by Zack Akers and produced by Skip Bronkie, the podcast series took less than two months to become the number one US podcast on iTunes and even featured on Vulture's list of Top 10 Podcasts of 2015.
The podcast series took listeners by storm. The first season of 'Limetown' had over 10 million downloads. Its popularity is one reason it is coming to screens as a web series on Facebook Watch. But what makes the podcast such a hit? And should you invest in watching the series?
Definitely.
Jessica Biel is hunting for answers
Biel plays the role of Lia Haddock, an American Public Radio journalist who is desperately trying to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of 326 people from Limetown, a neuroscience research facility in Tennessee. Fifteen years later, not a single citizen of Limetown has been. Like any passionate journalist, Biel's Haddock knows the Limetown disappearance case inside out. But all the available information is not enough. After investigating for a few months, Haddock hits a roadblock and cannot move forward unless she gets a new break.
The disappearance is also personal to Haddock. Her uncle Emile Haddock (Stanley Tucci) was among the people who disappeared from the township. The last time that Haddock sees him is when she is five, but the sweet memories shared with him don't let her move on from the case. Will she know what happened to her uncle and the 325 other people?
The actress also executive produces the show along with Michelle Purple, Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinker, Scott Rosenberg, and Adrienne Erickson.
Scary, apocalyptic
The Facebook web series, under the pulsating direction of Rebecca Thomas ('Stranger Things'), shows a town that is haunted by silence. Its eeriness is an inherent part of its tragedy. In its own way, the series slowly unravels the dangers of advanced technology and its looming threat over humanity.
The quest for the big mystery
How do 326 people disappear from a place without a trace? How does no one see them? How does no one ask questions? A young thriving community doesn't just disappear out of the blue. These questions are persistent in Haddock's mind - and by extension, the audience's minds. Adding to that is the fact that there is little available information about what actually happened. After the frantic 911 call, by the time that assistance arrived, the streets were empty, the restaurants without chatter, and the playpen vacant. It was as if time suddenly hit stop in Limetown - the houses resounding this stillness. So the audience embarks with Haddock to find answers.
'Limetown' will premiere on Facebook Watch on October 16, 2019.