Dan Erickson was working a soul-crushing data entry job when he started imagining what would happen if he could simply "turn off" during work hours. That kernel of desperation became Severance—a show that's redefined what prestige TV can be and established Apple TV+ as a serious player in the streaming wars.
The Script Nobody Wanted
Erickson wrote the Severance pilot while working at NBCUniversal in a clerical role. The irony isn't lost on anyone: a show about the dehumanization of corporate work was created during actual dehumanizing corporate work.
The script bounced around Hollywood for years. Netflix passed. So did most major networks. The concept was too weird, too cerebral, too uncommercial.
Then Ben Stiller read it.
Stiller, primarily known for comedy, recognized something deeper in the premise. His production company, Red Hour, optioned the script and began the long development process that would eventually land at Apple.
Why Apple Took the Risk
Apple TV+ launched in 2019 with a problem: no library. While Netflix had thousands of titles, Apple had a handful of prestige projects competing for attention.
This made them aggressive in pursuing unique content. Severance represented exactly what Apple needed—a critically acclaimed, conversation-driving series that would justify subscriptions.
The Investment: Apple reportedly spent over $50 million on Season 1's nine episodes. The elaborate sets, the meticulous design, the extended production schedule—none of it came cheap. But Apple understood that a single hit could define their platform.
The Production Design Revolution
What separates Severance from other prestige dramas is its visual language. Production designer Jeremy Hindle created Lumon's offices as a character in themselves—oppressive, disorienting, deliberately uncomfortable.
- The Escher-inspired staircase suggests endless, meaningless labor
- The retro computer terminals evoke a timeless bureaucracy
- The white corridors reference hospitals and asylums
- The lack of windows creates claustrophobia
Every visual choice reinforces the themes. The design isn't decoration—it's storytelling.
Critical Acclaim
- 97% on Rotten Tomatoes
- 14 Emmy nominations
- Best Direction win for Ben Stiller
- Best Actor nominations for Adam Scott
- Inclusion on virtually every "Best of 2022" list
Critics praised what they called "workplace horror"—a new genre that Severance essentially invented. The show's ability to be simultaneously unsettling and oddly relatable struck a cultural nerve.
Season 2 maintained the quality, cementing Severance as Apple's signature series.
Cultural Impact
Severance arrived at the perfect moment—mid-pandemic, when millions of workers were questioning their relationship with their jobs.
- A reference point in debates about work-life balance
- Shorthand for corporate alienation ("This meeting is giving Lumon vibes")
- An argument for unions and worker rights
- A meditation on identity and consciousness
The waffle party meme. The "Please try to enjoy each day" resignation letters. The innie/outie framework for discussing burnout. Severance gave people language for experiences they'd felt but couldn't articulate.
Learn the Lumon Language
Experience this game yourself - can you survive?
What Comes Next
Apple has committed to Severance for the long term. With Season 3 in production and talk of a defined endpoint, the show has space to tell its story completely.
For Apple TV+, Severance proved that quality could compete with quantity. For Dan Erickson, it validated years of work that once seemed destined to remain in a drawer.
And for viewers? We get to watch one of the most ambitious shows ever made unfold, one Wednesday at a time.