Halt and Catch Fire Finds New Audience on Apple TV

Halt and Catch Fire, AMC drama about the 1980s tech scene, has resurfaced on streaming. Available on both AMC+ and Apple TV, the series ranks as the No. 3 most popular show on Apple TV's VOD service in the United States. The title nods to a joke about computers crashing so badly they might "catch fire." The story begins in the 1980s at the fictional Dallas company Cardiff Electric and follows Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace), engineer Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy), programmer Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis) and Donna Clark (Kerry Bishé).

Across four seasons the show traces the rise of personal computing into the early World Wide Web while centering on human relationships and character growth over more than a decade. Critics embraced the series even as it struggled to find viewers. Early comparisons to Mad Men gave way to recognition of its distinct focus on technology’s forward momentum and the personal costs that accompany it.

United States, Dallas

apple tv, amc+, lee pace, mackenzie davis, scoot mcnairy, kerry bishé, cardiff electric, 1980s tech, personal computing, streaming