‘Severance’ a hit with people who work for ‘soulless’ companies, says creator

Creator of Apple TV+ show Severance, Dan Erickson, has revealed his fears that the show was a “comically ill-timed” show and that he believes it will resonate with people who have worked for “soulless” companies.

In a snippet from the WSJ Erickson said he was worried about the timing of the show because of the impact the pandemic had on office work:

“I was like, oh God, we’re making the most comically ill-timed piece of art ever made because it’s an office show as offices are going extinct,” he said.

The show made its debut in February and, to his pleasant surprise, people found the topic of work-life balance more relevant than ever after two years of pandemic living.

Erickson said the show recontextualized the topic of work-life balance because “this idea of us setting boundaries with work is much more important and much more difficult now than it was.

He also said the show would be familiar to lots of people who have worked in companies that are “soulless”:

“If you’ve worked in a soulless company, but with people who have souls, I think that that’s a familiar thing.”

Erickson says that Severance is a “deceptively warm” show because despite the “utterly, horrifying stuff that happens” the show’s core group of people become a work family and ” become more whole by virtue of having known each other.”

Severance is one of Apple’s most popular new Apple TV+ shows and has already been renewed for a second season. You can watch it on all of Apple’s best iPhones, iPads, Macs, and the Best TVs for Apple TV 2022.