Neanderthal Man is set to arrive on Netflix tomorrow, marking the company’s first foray into original scripted content. Based on the best-selling book by Erik Larson, the show has been described as a “human thriller” that “puts you in the front seat of the most awe-inspiring scientific story ever told.” It joins a lineup of new and returning content from popular Netflix shows including the Emmy-winning series Orange Is the New Black, Marco Polo and Jessica Jones. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter why they chose Larson’s novel as the basis for a show, Netflix’s Cindy Holland said: “For me, the thing that really fascinated me was the intersection of his personal life, the personal life of his wife and my own personal life. The intersection of science, history and personal life, and of the human endeavor to understand how we fit into it, that intrigued me, because all of that is what we’re trying to explore in the show. There are mysteries and there are discoveries to be made, and I think it’s a story that I found really interesting and unique. For me, personally, it’s not about who discovers what; it’s about how we come together and our personal relationships and about the intersection between the scientific world that Erik describes and the personal relationships that his characters have.” The show is based on the science-heavy theory that humans descend from two species of hominids – Homo erectus (the ‘Erect Man’) and the even older, more cunning Homo neanderthalensis (or ‘Flint Man’). It suggests that modern humans, who developed language and consciousness and eventually migrated out of Africa some 45,000 years ago, were not alone at the time and lived alongside neanderthals, who they mated with. Neanderthal Man offers new insights into a period of human history little understood so far, in a scientific detective story that has been touted as a potential binge-watchers essential watch. The lead characters include the brilliant neanderthal researcher Sonia Harmatz (Mireille Enos), her husband David (Evan Roe) and their four children. You can watch the first trailer here. I can’t think of any other company in the world that could get away with making such a bold choice in terms of the content of their own streaming library. It won’t just be Neanderthal Man that marks Netflix’s Netflix, though, with The Crown, The Defenders, and a new season of Breaking Bad all due in the first quarter of 2016. Here’s hoping it’s just the beginning and Netflix adds even more content soon. (Via The Hollywood Reporter)