Miniseries · HBO
Olive Kitteridge
There's no such thing as a simple life.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Frances McDormand
Olive Kitteridge
4 eps
Richard Jenkins
Henry Kitteridge
4 eps
Zoe Kazan
Denise Thibodeau
4 eps
Rosemarie DeWitt
Rachel Coulson
4 eps
Martha Wainwright
Angela O'Meara
4 eps
John Gallagher Jr.
Christopher Kitteridge
4 eps
John T. Mullen
Kevin Coulson
4 eps
Ann Dowd
Bonnie Newton
4 eps
Jesse Plemons
Jerry McCarthy
4 eps
Bill Murray
Jack Kennison
4 eps
Peter Mullan
Jim O'Casey
4 eps
Brady Corbet
Henry Thibodeau
4 eps
Donna Mitchell
Louise Larkin
4 eps
Cory Michael Smith
Kevin Coulson
4 eps
Devin Druid
Christopher (13 years old)
1 eps
Mark Anthony Del Negro
Traveler
1 eps
Audrey Marie Anderson
Ann
1 eps
Rachel Brosnahan
Patty Howe
1 eps
James McMenamin
Tony Kuzio
2 eps
Theo Stockman
Sean O'Casey
1 eps
Brian McEleney
Officiant
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Olive Kitteridge actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Olive Kitteridge reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
A look at a seemingly placid New England town that is actually wrought with illicit affairs, crime and tragedy, all told through the lens of Olive, whose wicked wit and harsh demeanor mask a warm but troubled heart and staunch moral center. The story spans 25 years and focuses on Olive's relationships with her husband, Henry, the good-hearted and kindly town pharmacist; their son, Christopher, who resents his mother's approach to parenting; and other members of their community.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E04
Security
Olive visits Christopher and his second wife in New York, but abruptly returns to Maine, where she gets some bad news about Henry, and ultimately befriends a lonely widower she meets while out for a walk.
- Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
S01E03
A Different Road
Christopher suggests counseling to Olive after she and Henry have a scary episode following dinner with friends. Later, Christopher confronts his mother about how she treated him as a child.
- Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
S01E01
Pharmacy
Math teacher Olive Kitteridge attempts to help Kevin, a smart but timid student whose mother is suffering from depression. Her son Christopher isn't happy though. Henry goes on a hunting trip that concludes with a tragedy.
- Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
S01E02
Incoming Tide
Kevin returns to Maine and Olive is able to convince him to stay over and attend Christopher's wedding-rehearsal dinner. Olive clashes with the bride's mother and scares the flower girl at the ceremony.
- Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Tom HanksExecutive Producer
- Jane AndersonExecutive Producer
- Frances McDormandExecutive Producer
- David CoatsworthProducer
- Gary GoetzmanExecutive Producer
Direction
- Lisa CholodenkoDirector
Cinematography
- Frederick ElmesDirector of Photography
Music
- Carter BurwellOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- HBO Max Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- HBO MaxStreaming
If you liked this
Similar Series
Series that share this one's texture, not just its genre tags.
Rosemary's Baby
2014
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Jane Eyre
2006
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
A Nearly Normal Family
2023
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
We Were the Lucky Ones
2024
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
A Woman of Substance
2026
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
The Leftovers
2014
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
The Count of Monte Cristo
1998
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
The Shining
1997
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Little Fires Everywhere
2020
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Grace and Frankie
2015
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
And Then There Were None
2015
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
2015
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
Lucky
2026
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
The Vampire Diaries
2009
Another invented world built with the same seriousness — start at episode one.
Reacher
2022
A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
House
2004
Another masterpiece of long-form storytelling, chosen to follow this one.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
2022
Another invented world built with the same seriousness — start at episode one.
Perry Mason
1957
A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
Never stop watching
Related Collections
No related collections yet
This title isn't in a published Nutevio collection yet. It will appear here automatically as soon as it is.
Join the conversation