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Vera Farmiga and Cherry Jones star in Five Days At Memorial on Apple TV+, but how can viewers watch the new limited series? It depicts the true story inside one hospital during Hurricane Katrina. Directors and producers Carlton Cuse and John Ridley stopped at nothing to recreate the harrowing scenes at Memorial Hospital during the United States’ most horrific natural disaster. It also stars Robert Pine, Julie Ann Emery, Cornelius Smith, Adepero Oduye, Molly Hager, Michael Gaston, and W. Earl Brown.

'Five Days At Memorial' cast members Robert Pine and Cornelius Smith Jr. looking at each other in conversation
‘Five Days At Memorial’ | Robert Pine and Cornelius Smith Jr. | Apple TV+

Is ‘Five Days At Memorial’ a true story?

Yes, Five Days At Memorial is based on a true story. Cuse and Ridley used Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital, by Sherri Fink, as their source material for the limited series on Apple TV+.

“Her book was such an impeccably researched and detailed account of the story that that was really the source material that John and I used to tell our fictionalized version of that story,” Carlton Cuse told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “For us, the challenge wasn’t getting more information. It was really combing through the book and figuring out what was most important and what we should or shouldn’t use.”

Fink interviewed over 500 people to create her accurate account of what happened at the hospital during and after Hurricane Katrina.

“I really felt like the authenticity of the story required the audience seeing, feeling and understanding what the circumstances were like in and around that hospital,” Carlton Cuse explained about Five Days At Memorial. “And so we did that. Fortunately, we were really lucky enough to have the resources from Apple to make the show the way we wanted to make the show.”

From flying a U.S. Coast guard helicopter across the Canadian border into Toronto to constructing a four million gallon water tank. The team made everything as accurate as possible in retelling the story in Five Days At Memorial.

What happened to Memorial Hospital in New Orleans?

Within the hospital, healthcare professionals made choices that no doctor should ever have to make in the days following Hurricane Katrina. There was no plan for evacuation of the hospital during flooding. Rescue efforts slowly began on day three by boat and helicopter. However, the police department entered the building on day five, forcing everyone to evacuate. But there were not enough boats and helicopters coming to get everyone out in time. The doctors insisted that no “living patient will be left behind.” 

However, when a team in hazmat suits entered the premises nearly two weeks after the hurricane, they found 45 people dead. It was the most at one care facility across the gulf coast, and the questions began.

Where can I watch ‘Five Days At Memorial’?

Sorry Netflix and Hulu subscribers, Five Days At Memorial is exclusively streaming on Apple TV+ on Aug. 12, 2022. Episodes are ready to watch at midnight ET on Friday mornings. Like The Morning Show and Ted Lasso, the streaming service drops the first three episodes on the premiere date. Then each Friday, a new episode becomes available for streaming.

However, it’s not as tricky as viewers think to get Apple TV+ on your TV. The Apple TV app is available for download on all Apple devices and many popular smart TVs. Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation, and Xbox all support the Apple TV app. The monthly subscription costs $4.99, but customers who purchase a new Apple product (such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod touch) receive the service free for three months. 

The first three episodes of Five Days at Memorial hit Apple TV+ on Aug. 12, 2022. The remaining episodes drop every Friday following the premiere.

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