If you're wondering where the phrase 'catch-22' comes from, meaning a difficult or conflicting dilemma, then all will be explained in a new satirical drama coming to our TV screens this week.
Hollywood actor George Clooney not only produces but he also takes on a leading role in the new Channel 4 series, based on the 'groundbreaking' 1961 novel written by American author Joseph Heller.
Ahead of its release, here's everything you need to know about the new drama Catch-22; cast, when it's on, what Clooney has to say about it, and what it's all about:
When does Catch-22 start?
Catch-22 will be on Channel 4 this Thursday June 20 at 9pm. There are six episodes in total, which are all aired at the same time each week, all lasting an hour.
The show was originally released by Hulu in America on May 17.
What is the series about?
Based on the seminal novel with the same name, Catch-22, the show is all about the artful dodger Yossarian (played by Christopher Abbott), who is a US Air Force bombardier in World War II. It explores his upset and fury that thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him.
But his real problem is not the enemy, but rather his own army which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service.
Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to avoid his military assignments, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22 - a 'hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule'.
It specifies that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers which are real and immediate is the process of a rational mind; a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but a request to be removed from duty is evidence of sanity and therefore makes him ineligible to be relieved from duty.
What has George Clooney said about making the show?
When speaking to Channel 4 about the shows basis from a well-known, classic novel, George said: "You don’t like taking on beloved novels. It was certainly a seminal book – if you Google ‘Greatest American novels’ it’s usually up there. So we knew it was a big challenge."
When George was initially asked to take part in the series, he initially declined. But after seeing the teleplays, he realised they were "good scripts."
The Ocean's actor said that themes in the book still resonate strongly with the world today.
He continued: "Unfortunately, they resonate more and more. The fight against the system, and that the system almost always wins. The absurdity of everything including old men making decisions and young men dying because of it."
Who is else is in cast?
There are some familiar faces in the cast for Catch-22. The cast includes:
- George Clooney as Scheisskopf
- Hugh Laurie as Major de Coverley
- Christopher Abbott as John Yossarian
- Kyle Chandler as Colonel Cathcart
- Daniel David Stewart as Milo
- Austin Stowell as Nately
- Rafi Gavron as Aarfy
- Graham Patrick Martin as Orr
- Pico Alexander as Clevinger
- Jon Rudnitsky as McWatt
- Gerran Howell as Kid Sampson
- Lewis Pullman as Major Major
- Tessa Ferrer as Nurse Duckett
- Jay Paulson as The Chaplain
- Giancarlo Giannini as Marcello
- Harrison Osterfield as Snowden
What's its rating?
The show has scored a respectful 7.9/10 on IMDb and a solid 86 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is it already a film as well as book?
Yes, the story has gone from novel, to film, and now to TV. The book was previously made into a film in 1970, featuring Art Garfunkel and Orson Welles, going by the same title - Catch-22.
If you can't quite wait until Thursday, then here's a sneak peak of what to expect from the official trailer:
