Alumni William Graham ’06 and James Ponsoldt ’05 are at the helm of Daisy Jones & The Six, a mesmerizing new musical drama released on Amazon Prime Video in early March. The show, developed by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, is adapted from Taylor Jenkins Reid's 2019 bestselling novel of the same title.
Set in the 1970s Los Angeles music scene, the series follows a rock band from their early beginnings to becoming one of the most famous bands in the world. Through a documentary-style series of interviews with the band members and footage of concerts and recording sessions, viewers are taken on an emotional journey that explores the band's history and the reasons behind their split at the height of their success.
Graham, a producer and director on the show, previously worked on popular shows such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Silicon Valley. He has also produced feature films, including The Boys in the Band and A Simple Favor. Ponsoldt, executive producer and writer on the series, has worked on films such as The Spectacular Now and The End of the Tour. He has also directed TV shows like Master of None and Dear White People.
The series’ casting includes an ensemble of actors such as Riley Keough, who plays the titular character of Daisy Jones, and Sam Claflin, who brings Billy to life.
“As an adaptation, the series is a success, thanks to the competent work of creators Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber and Neustadter’s co-showrunner Will Graham,” Mary Kate Carr wrote in the AV Club. “Anything jettisoned from the source material is barely missed, and what’s brought to life exists even more vibrantly than on the page.”
Watch a trailer for the series here.
