Just a week after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, mysterious letters containing deadly anthrax spores began arriving at news outlets and politicians’ offices.
Five people died; 17 were infected. The limited series The Hot Zone: Anthrax, dramatizes the hunt for the killer by FBI agent–microbiologist Matthew Ryker (Daniel Dae Kim).
(Credit: National Geographic/Peter Stranks)
“We put you in the shoes of people who were on the ground, remind everyone what a tense and terrifying time it was,” says executive producer Kelly Souders.
Parallel to the unflagging efforts of Ryker, a fictional character, is the work of real-life U.S. Army biodefense researcher Bruce Ivins (Tony Goldwyn), who came under suspicion even as he tested samples for the investigation.
Series researchers created a 100-page timeline to follow, but the story flashes further back. “We’re delving into the lives of Bruce and of Ryker,” says exec producer Brian Peterson. Anthrax “is very much a psychological thriller.”
The Hot Zone: Anthrax, Series Premiere, Sunday, November 28, 9/8c, National Geographic
This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s 2021 Fall Preview issue. For more inside scoop on the new fall TV season, pick up the issue, on newsstands Thursday, August 26.