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Based on Tom Perrotta’s novel of the same name, The Leftovers is a new drama series from HBO set three years after a global Rapture. With 2% of the world’s population gone without a trace, the show follows the citizens of a small American town and their attempts to deal with loss and a fundamentally changed society. The principal character is Police Chief Kevin Garvey — portrayed by Justin Theroux — from whose perspective we see the changes brought about by the Rapture, such as the creation of a cult called the Guilty Remnant. Its members (including Kevin’s wife, Laurie) stalk potential recruits, refuse to speak, wear all white, and picket memorials for the departed to emphasize that the world can never be the same. They are often violently attacked as people who have lost family members are incensed by their insensitivity. The clashes between the two sides unveil the deep-seated frustration and brokenness of both.

Despite how gripping this premise sounds on paper, the end product is rather mediocre. The show’s unrelentingly dark tone is overpowering while the vast majority of the characters are unsympathetic. The one exception, and the show’s saving grace, is Christopher Eccleston’s fantastic performance as Reverend Matt Jamison. The third episode focuses exclusively on him and is easily more compelling than the opening two episodes combined. Jamison is at his wit’s end, trying to cope with financial worries, taking care of his paralysed wife, and publishing a magazine that denounces those taken in the Rapture. Furthermore, he has to come to terms with his buried rage towards God for not taking him in the Rapture. Jamison elicits real sympathy and fascination, and it is the precarious line between bearing his overpowering burdens and snapping under the weight of them that is truly tantalising viewing.

Unfortunately aside from Eccleston’s character, The Leftovers often feels too bombastic and lacks a clear sense of purpose beyond wallowing and brooding for as long as possible. Aside from the interesting premise, the show’s dour tone simply overwhelms any other aspects that might have raised its quality.

The Leftovers will air on Sky Atlantic HD on September 16 at 9pm.