Afterworld Production Team Answers - Season One, episodes #1 through #47, posted October 25, 2007

Why is there a geo-lock on the US Wordwall forums?
Unfortunately, geo-protection is the only way to ensure that Australia gets exclusive viewer ship on their servers. As Afterworld is distributed into the rest of the world, this same problem will recur in Canada, Europe and Asia, etc. We regret not having ALL our fans around the world participate on the US Wall Forum, but our distribution agreements simply don’t allow for a globally “connected” audience right now. But we are searching for a solution, so stay tuned...

Did the fall happen all over the world or only in North America?
Yes. (All over the world)

Why didn't the coin Delondre tossed to the homeless man also disappear?
This is a complex topic that goes to the root of the Fall. But keep watching, there will be clues showing up in future episodes that will eventually explain this.

How did the dart penetrated the armored horseman and why, when they checked the body, did they not find the big red dart?
As the production scripts posted on the “Afterworld Theories” site indicate, not every written detail in the scripts finds its way into the episodes. This episode is yet another case in point. In general, though, it’s important to remember that, with 3 minutes episodes, not every story beat will be shown or even narrated. Many details (that don’t directly move the story forward) are saved for the journals. In the end, the most important aspect of the episode is not “How did the dart kill the Horseman?” but, rather, “Who is protecting Russ?”

What time of year did the fall occur?
We never pinned it down to an exact day, but always imagined the event happening in early-to-mid April.

Is Eli Real, or a part of Russell's imagination?
We can’t tell you because, yes, you guessed it: there will be clues coming up in future episodes that will explain this. Notice how this is our default answer?

Is the Feral Boy Real, or part of Russell's imagination?
insert default answer here

Did, or did not, Russell's watch work after the Fall?
This is curious… was it ever stated that the watch didn’t work? If it’s a quartz/wind-up watch it should still work. The reason he “sacrifices” it to the Serpent Mound has nothing to do with the watch working or not – it’s about a life lesson that Russ learned regarding taking your time, enjoying the journey, etc.

How do people know about 47 minutes if no watches or electric clocks work?
Clocks (that don’t rely on electronics or electricity) should still work. A grandfather clock, an egg timer, simple watches (as mentioned above) would all give people a way to time the EMPs. Heck, even a sundial would give you a pretty good approximation of time…

Why do the episodes have to be so short?
The episodes were originally designed for broadband and mobile distribution only. On those platforms, optimal downloadable/streaming content is under 3 minutes. The idea of combining episodes into 15 and 30 minute compilations (such as is available now in Australia) was an afterthought by our distribution partner, Sony International, as a way to incorporate a third platform – broadcast television – into the equation. The only reason we haven’t released the show in these “extended” formats in the US is because we have not finalized a deal with a domestic broadcast television partner. When/if we do, compilation episodes should be available here, too. If not, then look for multiple viewing choices on the eventual DVD release of Season One.

Are there plans to combine the scripts and making it a feature length film?
So far we have turned down offers to adapt the show into these mediums because we want the series to play itself out as a multi-platform experience first. This has allowed us to develop and produce the show the way we want, rather than tailoring the series to be merely a “set up” for other mediums. That said, once we conclude Season One we way revisit these opportunities.

Why doesn't AW appear on the Sci-Fi Channel in the US?
It may… or it may appear on another US channel. (see #10)

Why don't diesel engines and pre-1980 cars work?
One of the interesting things about the EMP problem is that it presents an entirely theoretical situation based on known scientific principles. None of the experts we spoke with in our extensive research for the show could conclusively say what would or wouldn’t work in a world where an EMP of unimaginable magnitude was blanketing the globe every 47 minutes. It is our belief that certain diesel engines or pre-1980 automobiles would work… but certain modifications would probably be necessary. The percentage of people capable of getting a car back on the road (not to mention those with the need for such) is relatively small. Which means, the chances of Russ running into these people in his travels, is even smaller. All that said, he WILL encounter running vehicles in the course of his journey. And he will even hitch a ride several times…

How many people survived the fall, 1%, 0.1%, or .01%?
We have always said more than 99.9% of the human population have disappeared. What that exact number is… let’s just say, not a lot.

Where are the websites? There are no MySpace or other websites other than those we've already found!
We admit that in the beginning the plan was to have Myspace pages for our characters and lots of other auxiliary websites linked to the show. But then reality took hold and, well… our crack team of writers got overwhelmed just writing 130 compelling episodes. However, the workload is slowly thinning so expect a couple more “Easter egg” sites to be seeded on the web. When? Where? Only time will tell....

What is the ratio of men to women that survived the Fall? (Adults to Children, ect...ect...ect...RS)
There is no secret formula here. Whatever population ratio exits right now of men, women, children, elderly… that exact same ratio exists after the Fall. You are just not seeing all the children and elderly out roaming around “The Wasteland,” as JD calls it, and can you really blame them?

Is Kizzy one of the genetic babies like the one we see the report of at the Speaker's House?
Signs hazy, ask again later.

Why is the picture of the First Horseman real and every other character 3D?
Simple answer – internal joke. The picture is of our Art Director, Duane Loose. The joke being that he is the sweetest, most gentle man and so NOT a horseman. But when fans started questioning everything about the picture, we realized it was creating unnecessary confusion. So we have removed and replaced it with an actual 3D character. If you haven’t seen the correction, please go introduce yourself to the real Mr. Casey.

Why was no information about the Second Horseman shown?
Curiously, he had no information on him. That doesn’t mean his identity is not important. It simply means it’s not important yet.

Why does Russell appear to “forget” all that has occurred and blindly trust everyone new that he meets?
Russ doesn’t “forget” the lessons learned on his journey. He simply doesn’t change as quickly as you might like. This is a common device on TV shows. For instance, why did Scully seem to “forget” all the overwhelming evidence on the X-Files that proved there was more to the world than science could explain. The simple answer is: there would be no show without Scully’s skepticism. Similarly, there would be no Afterworld with Russ’s curiosity and, in some cases, naiveté. He is our narrator and, in his search for answers, he must allow himself to consider every possibility… until proven wrong. If you think about it, the events of the Fall are so fantastic that it would be imprudent to dismiss any theory out of hand. As time goes on he will become increasingly wary of other people, but that attitude will also get him into trouble because, in the end, the world after the Fall is dangerous no matter what you do or how you think.

Why won’t Russ just arm himself and shoot whoever threatens him?
Although this seems like the “logical” response to the situation, you must ask yourself what would happen if everyone took this approach? At some point everyone you met would be a threat because everyone would be armed. Is that a series you really want to watch? Everyone shooting at one another 24/7? Bottom line: we felt it was more interesting to have our main character take a moral stance about violence and see how long he could maintain that stance. If you watch the series until the end of Season One you will find out just how long.

as posted on the AfterworldTheories site