The trials, tribulations and population of Chester's Mill – the fictional town in which Under The Dome, Stephen King's sci-fi drama is set – will become all too familiar to UK TV audiences tonight (Mon, 19 Aug) as the drama hits Channel 5 for the first time.

Under The Dome
Stephen King's novel is coming to the U.K, in TV form

The show is based on King’s novel of the same name, which was first conceived in 1970 but wasn’t published until 2009. It tells the story of a small town suddenly cut off by a giant invisible dome. Loved by U.S audiences, the once-planned 13-episode mini-series format has been extended to a second season due to high viewing figures.

Amusingly, King’s serious sci-fi drama bears similarities to The Simpsons movie, which sees Springfield trapped under a giant dome to save the rest of the U.S. It was, of course, all Homer’s fault. “I have never seen that movie and the similarity came as a complete surprise to me,” said King of the plots, “but for the doubters, I was thinking of a dome and insulation idea long before Homer, Marge and their amusing brood came on the scene.” (The Express)

Under The Dome Stephen King
Norris plays Norris in Under The Dome

A familiar face, especially for Channel 5 viewers, will be that of Dean Norris, who plays Hank in Breaking Bad. But in Under The Dome, he plays a character on the other side of the law: John Norris. “He’s an amoral, lizard-like psychopathic character,” said Norris. “I’m told he was based on Dick Cheney, the ex-vice president. As fear sets in, he goes about creating order. He is such a fun character to play and it is so different from my role in Breaking Bad.”