Tom Hiddleston leads new Pompeii docuseries on Disney+

National Geographic and Disney+ have launched the three‑part docudrama "Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston". The series, which debuted on Disney+ on 23 July and aired on National Geographic on 26 July, follows the final hours of the city of Pompeii after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Actor Tom Hiddleston, a classics graduate who first visited the ruins at age 17, serves as host and "time detective", guiding viewers between the present‑day site and a dramatized recreation of the city in 79 AD. Together with executive producer Kevin R. Wright – formerly of the Marvel series "Loki" – the show blends documentary interviews with archaeologists, historians, geologists and disaster experts with scripted reenactments of three real Romans: a teenage bronze‑smith apprentice, a wealthy bath‑house owner, and an unnamed Praetorian guard. The series challenges the long‑held belief that the disaster was instantaneous, highlighting evidence that many residents survived the roughly 24‑hour eruption period.

The production, created by Plimsoll Productions, aims to make ancient history accessible to a broad audience, especially younger viewers, by using cinematic storytelling techniques while retaining scholarly rigor. Hiddleston’s personal passion for the ancient world and his academic background shape the narrative, offering a fresh perspective on the human stories behind the archaeological site.