Diksha Sundriyal
Apple TV+’s sci-fi series ‘Hello Tomorrow!’ tells the story of a salesman who sells condos on the moon. Played by Billy Crudup, Jack Billings has the talent to seek out people who are unhappy with their lives and could do with a fresh start. He fills them with the hope of starting fresh and finding happiness again. All of this, however, comes at a price. No one knows that Jack is running a scam. He usually packs things up and moves on before anyone can figure out what he is doing. However, things change when he decides to stay in one town for too long for the sake of his estranged son, Eddie.
At its heart, ‘Hello Tomorrow!’ remains a very relatable story of a man who is deeply flawed. However, the world that he lives in makes us wonder when and where his story takes place according to the audience’s timeline. If you are wondering the same, then we’ve got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD
Hello Tomorrow! is Set in the 50s in a Utopian Society
‘Hello Tomorrow!’ is set in a seemingly utopian society. In its world, technological advancements have changed the way things work, and going to the Moon is not as big of a deal anymore. Usually, such a story would be set in the future, representing the 2030s or later. This show, however, takes place in the 1950s, as suggested by its aesthetic where despite the flying cars and the robots employed to do everyday jobs, the attire, the look, and even the TV sets remain retro.
The reason behind ‘Hello Tomorrow!’ is set in the ‘50s is that the idea for the show originated with a training video that creators Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen chanced upon. It was intended for car salesmen in the ‘50s and the duo was immediately taken in by it, focusing on how much it represented the capitalist mentality and the American dream. This led them to create the character of Jack Billings who was a brilliant salesman, in touch with his audience, and convincing them to get their own place on the moon.
Hello Tomorrow! Takes Place in Vistaville
The story of ‘Hello Tomorrow!’ opens in a suburban town called Vistaville. It is a quiet town where Jack Billings and his team arrive to sell condos on the moon. Later, we discover that Jack is running a scam, which means that every time he has made enough deals in a town, he and his team packs up and moves on to another town never to look back. This time, however, he stays back for his son, which is what leads to further events in the story.
Considering that Jack and his team have traveled to other towns selling condos on the moon before, we can expect that the world outside Vistaville looks the same too. It is just as, if not more, technologically enhanced, and rocket ships shooting off to the moon is a common sight there too. While the creators could have chosen a bigger city to set the show in, they stuck with a small town, probably due to its universality, because Vistaville looks like a place that could be anywhere.
The creators of the show were also very specific about the way they wanted the tech, especially the robots, to look in the ‘50s Vistaville. “We wanted the technology to feel lived in. To feel like our phones do — scratched and cracked and whatever. They’re not what comes out of the advertisement,” co-creator Amit Bhalla said. The team made sure that the robots, much like everything else, looked “warm and rusted” giving the impression that it has been around long enough for people to get used to it by now.
Read More: Is Hello Tomorrow’s Vistaville a Real Place?
