It’s inevitable that some upcoming television and film will speak to the unprecedented time that we live in now. Already, Parks and Recreation and Apple TV+’s Mythic Quest have made remote specials/episodes.

Now, HBO is stepping into the realm of remotely-made-specials-in-quarantine with the upcoming Coastal Elites from writer Paul Rudnick and director Jay Roach (maybe you caught his Bombshell right before the pandemic reared its ugly head). Boasting a dream cast of Bette Middler, Kaitlyn Dever, Dan Levy, Sarah Paulson, and Issa Rae, the special will hone in on the sort of tension and anxiety that the pandemic has brought to us all, especially when it comes to where we all stand politically.

Thus far, shows/networks that have attempted to do remotely produced content have gotten incredibly clever with how to tell a story while in lockdown, especially as they’ve been making “very special episodes” of pre-existing shows. Coastal Elites will stand as an original stand-alone special and will very likely have a lot more leeway with what they can do rather than trying to figure out why Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are in the same room even though they are enemies on Parks and Recreation. 

The September premiere date would also suggest that Rudnick and Roach are going to take their time to make the most out of watching, presumably, talk directly to camera.