Tom Hiddleston revisits Pompeii in National Geographic’s new series

MUMBAI: History is about to get a little more explosive. Tom Hiddleston is travelling back nearly 2,000 years in Out Of Time with Tom Hiddleston, a new National Geographic series that revisits the final hours of Pompeii before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

The series, which airs on National Geographic every Monday at 8 pm and is also available on JioHotstar, blends scripted drama with investigative documentary storytelling. Hiddleston is joined by archaeologists, historians, geologists and disaster experts as they piece together evidence about what really happened when Vesuvius erupted.

Rather than treating Pompeii simply as a story of destruction, Out Of Time explores the people caught in the disaster and the choices they made as the volcano began to awaken. The series suggests that many of those in the city may have had an opportunity to survive, adding a human dimension to a catastrophe often remembered only for its devastation.

Speaking about the series, JioStar head – Hindi and English entertainment business (streaming, TV & studios) Alok Jain said, “At National Geographic, we believe the most compelling stories are the ones that challenge how we see our world. Out of Time is a fascinating exploration of one of humanity’s greatest mysteries—time itself—bringing together science, history and cutting-edge research in a way that is both thought-provoking and accessible. We are excited to bring this extraordinary journey to audiences in India, inspiring curiosity and conversation long after the credits roll.”

Hiddleston steps into scripted sequences based on the lives of real Romans, including a teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman and a mysterious Praetorian Guard. Their stories unfold as the countdown to the eruption begins, with the investigation bringing together archaeological evidence and historical accounts to examine who survived, who perished and what shaped their fate.

The series reunites Hiddleston with Kevin R. Wright, the executive producer of Marvel’s Loki. Wright brings a cinematic approach to the project, combining archaeological discoveries, expert analysis and scripted storytelling to recreate the lives of Romans living in the shadow of Vesuvius.

For Hiddleston, Pompeii offers more than an ancient disaster story. The actor said the city provides a way of understanding how people lived, made choices and confronted extraordinary circumstances, describing the experience of revisiting their final hours as a privilege.

The project also arrives alongside a wider National Geographic focus on Pompeii and the surrounding Roman cities. The August issue of the magazine examines new research into three cities buried by Vesuvius, using AI, advanced DNA analysis and archaeological discoveries to investigate ancient Roman society.

Among the findings are insights into class and gender dynamics at Oplontis, previously unreadable writings recovered from carbonised scrolls in Herculaneum and evidence about diet and disease from a Pompeii latrine. Together, the research offers a closer look at a society grappling with inequality, health and the pursuit of a fulfilling life.

Produced by Plimsoll Productions, Out Of Time is led by showrunner and director Tom Barbor-Might. Jessica Ruston and Mark Ravenhill serve as writers, with additional writing by Wright and Barbor-Might. Grant Mansfield, Wright, Helen Flint and Alan Eyres are executive producers for Plimsoll.

For National Geographic, Carolyn Payne serves as executive producer, alongside Charlie Parsons, Bengt Anderson and Tom McDonald in senior leadership roles across development, unscripted production and content.

The series is part of National Geographic’s broader push to make history more immersive, using science and new discoveries to challenge long-held assumptions about the past. And in Pompeii’s case, the biggest revelation may be that the story was never simply about how people died, but about how they lived and what they did when time began to run out.