How To Get Away With Murder (season 1)
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The first season of the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
American
television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...
series ''
How to Get Away with Murder ''How to Get Away with Murder'' is an American legal thriller television series that premiered on ABC on September 25, 2014, and concluded on May 14, 2020. The series was created by Peter Nowalk, and produced by Shonda Rhimes and ABC Studios. Th ...
'' premiered on September 25, 2014, and concluded on February 26, 2015, with a total of 15 episodes. At the
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian television critics, journalists and columnists who cover television programming for newspapers, magazines and web publications. The TCA accepts app ...
Press Tour in July 2014, it was announced that ''How to Get Away with Murder'' would be a limited series, with only 15 or 16 episodes per season; the smaller episode count than most network series stems from a deal with series star
Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...
. On May 7, 2015, the show was renewed by ABC for a second season. For its first season, the series received numerous accolades. The show was honored as a Television Program of the Year by the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
. It was also named Outstanding Drama Series at the
Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
and the
GLAAD Awards The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their live ...
. For her performance, Davis won the
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, the
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series, and the
Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. Davis received nominations from the
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for Best Actress in a Television Series, the
Critics' Choice Awards The Critics' Choice Movie Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American-Canadian Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Writt ...
for Best Actress in a Drama Series, and the
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian television critics, journalists and columnists who cover television programming for newspapers, magazines and web publications. The TCA accepts app ...
for Individual Achievement in Drama.


Plot

Annalise Keating Annalise Keating Esq. (née Anna-Mae Harkness) is a fictional character in the legal drama series ''How to Get Away with Murder''. Series creator Peter Nowalk is responsible for creating and developing the character, and American actress Viola Dav ...
, law professor and
criminal defense attorney A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various jur ...
at Middleton University, selects five students to intern at her firm—Wes Gibbins, Connor Walsh, Michaela Pratt, Asher Millstone, and Laurel Castillo—alongside her employees Frank Delfino and Bonnie Winterbottom, an associate lawyer. Season one explores two murders through flashbacks: Lila Stangard, mistress of Annalise's husband Sam Keating and a student at Middleton, and Sam Keating at the hands of Annalise's interns. The first nine episodes alternate between
flashforwards A flashforward (also spelled flash-forward, and more formally known as prolepsis) is a scene that temporarily takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards a ...
and the present day, to show the progression of events leading to the murder of Sam, who Annalise believes murdered Lila, and the disposal of his body by Wes, Connor, Michaela, and Laurel. The final six episodes explore Annalise's attempt to help her interns cover up Sam's murder and implicate Sam in Lila's death, as well as the events leading to Lila's death.


Cast and characters


Main

*
Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...
as
Annalise Keating Annalise Keating Esq. (née Anna-Mae Harkness) is a fictional character in the legal drama series ''How to Get Away with Murder''. Series creator Peter Nowalk is responsible for creating and developing the character, and American actress Viola Dav ...
* Billy Brown as Nate Lahey *
Alfred Enoch Alfred Lewis Enoch (born 2 December 1988) is an English actor, best known for playing Dean Thomas in the ''Harry Potter'' film series and Wes Gibbins in the ABC legal thriller television series ''How to Get Away with Murder''. Early life an ...
as Wes Gibbins *
Jack Falahee John Ryan Falahee (born February 20, 1989) is an American actor and singer. On television, he portrayed Connor Walsh on the ABC legal thriller ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014–2020) and Frank Stringfellow on the PBS historical drama ''Me ...
as Connor Walsh *
Katie Findlay Katie Findlay is a Canadian actress known for portraying Rosie Larsen in the American crime drama television series '' The Killing''. From 2013 to 2014, Findlay portrayed Maggie Landers in The CW's teen drama ''The Carrie Diaries''. From 2014 to ...
as Rebecca Sutter *
Aja Naomi King Aja Naomi King (; born January 11, 1985) is an American actress. She played Michaela Pratt in ''How to Get Away with Murder''. She began her career in guest-starring roles on television, and starred as Cassandra Kopelson in The CW medical comedy ...
as Michaela Pratt *
Matt McGorry Matthew David McGorry (born April 12, 1986) is an American actor, writer and activist. He is best known for playing John Bennett on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Orange Is the New Black'' and Asher Millstone on the ABC legal drama series ...
as Asher Millstone *
Karla Souza Karla Susana Olivares Souza (born December 11, 1985) is a Mexican actress known for her roles as Laurel Castillo on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC legal drama series ''How to Get Away with Murder'' and Marina Hayworth on the ABC sitcom ' ...
as Laurel Castillo * Charlie Weber as Frank Delfino *
Liza Weil Liza Rebecca Weil (born June 5, 1977) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Paris Geller in the WB/ CW comedy-drama series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007) and its Netflix revival series '' Gilmore Girls: A Year in t ...
as
Bonnie Winterbottom Bonnie Winterbottom is a fictional character created in 2014 by Peter Nowalk. Portrayed by Liza Weil, she is a Philadelphia-based associate attorney who works for Annalise Keating's firm, and is one of the main characters on the ABC legal drama ...


Recurring

*
Tom Verica Tom Verica (born May 13, 1964) is an American actor, director, and producer, best known for his role as Sam Keating in the ABC drama ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014-2020). He also played Jack Pryor in the NBC critically acclaimed drama ''Am ...
as Sam Keating * Megan West as Lila Stangard *
Conrad Ricamora Conrad Wayne Ricamora (born February 17, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Oliver Hampton on the ABC television series ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014–20). As a stage actor, he is noted for his roles in th ...
as Oliver Hampton *
Alysia Reiner Alysia Reiner is an American actress. She is best known for playing Natalie "Fig" Figueroa in the Netflix comedy drama series '' Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as part of the ...
as Wendy Parks *
Lenny Platt Lenny Platt (born July 25, 1984) is an American actor known for his portrayal of Nate Salinger on the US daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'' from 2010 to 2012 and FBI recruit Drew Perales on the ABC thriller '' Quantico'' in 2016. Early lif ...
as Griffin O'Reilly *
Lynn Whitfield Lynn Whitfield (''née'' Smith; born February 15, 1953) is an American actress. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a ...
as Mary Walker * Arjun Gupta as Kan *
April Parker Jones April Parker Jones is an American television actress, best known for her roles as Darcy Hawkins in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama series ''Jericho'' from 2006 to 2008, and as Natalie Henning in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, ''If ...
as Claire Bryce *
Marcia Gay Harden Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an American actress. She is the recipient of accolades including an Academy Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for a Critics' Choice Movie Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards. Born ...
as Hannah Keating *
Tamlyn Tomita Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (born January 27, 1966) is a Japanese-American actress and singer. She made her screen debut as Kumiko in ''The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986) and reprised the character for the streaming series ''Cobra Kai'' (2021). She is also ...
as Carol Morrow


Guest

*
Steven Weber Steven Robert Weber (born March 4, 1961) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Brian Hackett on the television series ''Wings'' which aired from April 1990 to May 1997 on NBC, as Sam Blue in '' Once and Again'', and ...
as Max St. Vincent *
Ana Ortiz Ana Ortiz (born January 25, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Having pursued a career in ballet and singing from a young age, she eventually attended University of the Arts. Ortiz began her acting career in theatre, in early 2000s starred ...
as Paula Murphy *
Elliot Knight Elliot Knight is an English actor. He made his acting debut as the title character on the Sky1 action-adventure series '' Sinbad'' (2012). Continuing to work on television, Knight appeared as a series regular on the BBC One crime drama '' By Any ...
as Aiden Walker *
Elizabeth Perkins Elizabeth Ann Perkins (born November 18, 1960) is an American actress. Her film roles have included '' About Last Night'' (1986), ''Big'' (1988), ''Avalon'' (1990), and '' He Said, She Said'' (1991), ''The Flintstones'' (1994), ''Miracle on 34th ...
as Marren Trudeau * John Posey as William Millstone *
Cicely Tyson Cicely Louise Tyson (December 19, 1924January 28, 2021) was an American actress. In a career which spanned more than seven decades in film, television and theatre, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. Tyson recei ...
as Ophelia Harkness *
Michelle Hurd Michelle Hurd (born December 21, 1966) is an American actress best known for her work in television. She first received recognition for portraying Monique Jeffries in the police procedural series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (1999–20 ...
as Amanda Winthrop *
Tom Everett Scott Thomas Everett Scott (born September 7, 1970) is an American actor. His film work includes a starring role as drummer Guy Patterson in the film ''That Thing You Do!'', the protagonist in ''An American Werewolf in Paris'', and notable roles in ...
as Andrew Crawford *
Sarah Burns Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pi ...
as Emily Sinclair *
Jason Gedrick Jason Michael Gedrick (born February 7, 1965) is an American actor best known for his work on the television series '' Murder One'' and ''Boomtown'', and the motion picture ''Iron Eagle'' as Doug Masters. Early life Jason Michael Gedroic was b ...
as Gabriel Shaw


Episodes


Production


Development

On August 19, 2013, ABC bought the original concept from Shondaland Productions, produced by
Shonda Rhimes Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is an American television screenwriter, producer, and author. She is best known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', it ...
and
Betsy Beers Betsy Beers (born 1957) is an American television and film producer whose credits include ShondaLand's ''Grey's Anatomy,'' ''Scandal,'' ''Private Practice'', ''How to Get Away with Murder'', ''The Catch'', ''Station 19'', '' For the People'', and ...
. The script for the pilot episode was written by ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' supervising producer
Peter Nowalk Peter Nowalk is an American television writer and producer. He is best known as the creator of the legal thriller, ''How to Get Away with Murder''. Early life Nowalk was raised in Point Pleasant, New Jersey and graduated from Point Pleasant Bo ...
. ABC ordered the pilot on December 19, 2013. It was directed by
Michael Offer Michael Offer is an Australian film and television director. His television credits range from directing episodes of television series in his home country, Australia, to other regions such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Those cre ...
. On May 8, 2014, ABC picked up the pilot to series for the 2014–15 television season. At the
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian television critics, journalists and columnists who cover television programming for newspapers, magazines and web publications. The TCA accepts app ...
Press Tour in July 2014, it was announced that ''How to Get Away with Murder'' would be a limited series with only 15 or 16 episodes per season. The smaller episode count is the result of a deal for series star Viola Davis. On October 9, 2014, ABC picked up the series for a full season of 15 episodes.


Filming

The pilot episode was filmed in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, at the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
, and in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
; in
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr, pronounced , from Welsh for big hill, is a census-designated place (CDP) located across three townships: Radnor Township and Haverford Township in Delaware County, and Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It i ...
, at
Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United St ...
; and in
Collegeville, Pennsylvania Collegeville is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a suburb outside of Philadelphia on Perkiomen Creek. Collegeville was incorporated in 1896. It is the location of Ursinus College which opened in 1869. The population was 5,089 at t ...
, at
Ursinus College Ursinus College is a private liberal arts college in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869 and occupies a 170-acre campus. History 19th century In 1867, members of the German Reformed Church began plans to establish a college w ...
.


Casting

The first season had ten roles receiving star billing.
Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...
plays the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of the series, Professor Annalise Keating, a high-profile defense attorney, teaching a class at Middleton University. Billy Brown plays Annalise's lover,
Detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
Nate Lahey, who tries to prove Sam's involvement in Lila Stangard's murder and becomes the main suspect in Sam's murder. There are five students who work at Annalise's law firm: Wes Gibbins, portrayed by
Alfred Enoch Alfred Lewis Enoch (born 2 December 1988) is an English actor, best known for playing Dean Thomas in the ''Harry Potter'' film series and Wes Gibbins in the ABC legal thriller television series ''How to Get Away with Murder''. Early life an ...
, a student recently accepted off the
wait list Wait list, in university and college admissions, is a term used in the United States and other countries to describe a situation in which a college or university has not formally accepted a particular student for admission, but at the same tim ...
who later has a relationship with Rebecca; Connor Walsh, portrayed by
Jack Falahee John Ryan Falahee (born February 20, 1989) is an American actor and singer. On television, he portrayed Connor Walsh on the ABC legal thriller ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014–2020) and Frank Stringfellow on the PBS historical drama ''Me ...
, a student who is ruthless and viewed as somewhat narcissistic by his peers; Michaela Pratt, portrayed by
Aja Naomi King Aja Naomi King (; born January 11, 1985) is an American actress. She played Michaela Pratt in ''How to Get Away with Murder''. She began her career in guest-starring roles on television, and starred as Cassandra Kopelson in The CW medical comedy ...
, an ambitious student who wants to become as successful as Annalise; Asher Millstone, portrayed by
Matt McGorry Matthew David McGorry (born April 12, 1986) is an American actor, writer and activist. He is best known for playing John Bennett on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Orange Is the New Black'' and Asher Millstone on the ABC legal drama series ...
, who comes from a privileged background and becomes affectionate towards Bonnie in the latter half of the season; and Laurel Castillo, portrayed by
Karla Souza Karla Susana Olivares Souza (born December 11, 1985) is a Mexican actress known for her roles as Laurel Castillo on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC legal drama series ''How to Get Away with Murder'' and Marina Hayworth on the ABC sitcom ' ...
, an
idealistic In philosophy, the term idealism identifies and describes metaphysical perspectives which assert that reality is indistinguishable and inseparable from perception and understanding; that reality is a mental construct closely connected to ide ...
student who later has a relationship with Frank.
Katie Findlay Katie Findlay is a Canadian actress known for portraying Rosie Larsen in the American crime drama television series '' The Killing''. From 2013 to 2014, Findlay portrayed Maggie Landers in The CW's teen drama ''The Carrie Diaries''. From 2014 to ...
portrays Rebecca Sutter, Wes' mysterious neighbor (and later, girlfriend) who becomes a suspect in the murder of Lila Stangard. Charlie Weber plays Frank Delfino, an employee of Annalise's firm who is not a lawyer but handles special duties requiring discretion.
Liza Weil Liza Rebecca Weil (born June 5, 1977) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Paris Geller in the WB/ CW comedy-drama series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007) and its Netflix revival series '' Gilmore Girls: A Year in t ...
plays Bonnie Winterbottom, an
associate attorney An associate attorney is a lawyer and an employee of a law firm who does not hold an ownership interest as a partner. Types Practicing attorney An associate may be a junior or senior attorney, but normally does not hold an ownership interest in t ...
in Annalise's firm. Other recurring roles in the first season were
Tom Verica Tom Verica (born May 13, 1964) is an American actor, director, and producer, best known for his role as Sam Keating in the ABC drama ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014-2020). He also played Jack Pryor in the NBC critically acclaimed drama ''Am ...
who played Professor Sam Keating, Annalise's husband who had an affair with Lila Stangard and was later murdered by Wes. Megan West portrayed Lila Stangard, a sorority girl who was murdered by Frank on Sam's orders after he found out she was pregnant.
Conrad Ricamora Conrad Wayne Ricamora (born February 17, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Oliver Hampton on the ABC television series ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014–20). As a stage actor, he is noted for his roles in th ...
played Oliver Hampton, an IT specialist with whom Connor forms a romantic relationship.
Alysia Reiner Alysia Reiner is an American actress. She is best known for playing Natalie "Fig" Figueroa in the Netflix comedy drama series '' Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as part of the ...
played Wendy Parks, a prosecutor who goes up against Annalise.
Lenny Platt Lenny Platt (born July 25, 1984) is an American actor known for his portrayal of Nate Salinger on the US daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'' from 2010 to 2012 and FBI recruit Drew Perales on the ABC thriller '' Quantico'' in 2016. Early lif ...
portrayed Griffin O'Reilly, a star
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and boyfriend of the murdered Lila Stangard.
Elliot Knight Elliot Knight is an English actor. He made his acting debut as the title character on the Sky1 action-adventure series '' Sinbad'' (2012). Continuing to work on television, Knight appeared as a series regular on the BBC One crime drama '' By Any ...
played Michaela's fiancé, Aiden Walker, and
Lynn Whitfield Lynn Whitfield (''née'' Smith; born February 15, 1953) is an American actress. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a ...
played his mother and Michaela's future mother-in-law, Mary Walker.
Marcia Gay Harden Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an American actress. She is the recipient of accolades including an Academy Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for a Critics' Choice Movie Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards. Born ...
played Dr. Hannah Keating, a
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
and Sam's sister, who becomes suspicious of Annalise after Sam goes missing.
Cicely Tyson Cicely Louise Tyson (December 19, 1924January 28, 2021) was an American actress. In a career which spanned more than seven decades in film, television and theatre, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. Tyson recei ...
portrayed Ophelia Harkness, Annalise's mother. On January 21, 2014,
Matt McGorry Matthew David McGorry (born April 12, 1986) is an American actor, writer and activist. He is best known for playing John Bennett on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Orange Is the New Black'' and Asher Millstone on the ABC legal drama series ...
was the first to be announced as a regular cast member, playing a law student. On February 25, 2014, it was announced that Shonda Rhimes had cast
Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...
in the show's leading role of Professor Annalise Keating. Throughout February and March 2014, other roles were announced as cast:
Aja Naomi King Aja Naomi King (; born January 11, 1985) is an American actress. She played Michaela Pratt in ''How to Get Away with Murder''. She began her career in guest-starring roles on television, and starred as Cassandra Kopelson in The CW medical comedy ...
,
Jack Falahee John Ryan Falahee (born February 20, 1989) is an American actor and singer. On television, he portrayed Connor Walsh on the ABC legal thriller ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014–2020) and Frank Stringfellow on the PBS historical drama ''Me ...
,
Alfred Enoch Alfred Lewis Enoch (born 2 December 1988) is an English actor, best known for playing Dean Thomas in the ''Harry Potter'' film series and Wes Gibbins in the ABC legal thriller television series ''How to Get Away with Murder''. Early life an ...
and
Karla Souza Karla Susana Olivares Souza (born December 11, 1985) is a Mexican actress known for her roles as Laurel Castillo on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC legal drama series ''How to Get Away with Murder'' and Marina Hayworth on the ABC sitcom ' ...
as law students;
Katie Findlay Katie Findlay is a Canadian actress known for portraying Rosie Larsen in the American crime drama television series '' The Killing''. From 2013 to 2014, Findlay portrayed Maggie Landers in The CW's teen drama ''The Carrie Diaries''. From 2014 to ...
as a drug-dealing student; Charlie Weber as a law associate to Professor Keating; Billy Brown as Professor Keating's extramarital love interest; veteran actor and producer
Tom Verica Tom Verica (born May 13, 1964) is an American actor, director, and producer, best known for his role as Sam Keating in the ABC drama ''How to Get Away with Murder'' (2014-2020). He also played Jack Pryor in the NBC critically acclaimed drama ''Am ...
as Professor Keating's husband; and
Liza Weil Liza Rebecca Weil (born June 5, 1977) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Paris Geller in the WB/ CW comedy-drama series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007) and its Netflix revival series '' Gilmore Girls: A Year in t ...
as one of the professor's two associates. On August 11, 2014, it was announced that ''
Orange is the New Black ''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Wo ...
'' alum
Alysia Reiner Alysia Reiner is an American actress. She is best known for playing Natalie "Fig" Figueroa in the Netflix comedy drama series '' Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as part of the ...
was cast as a prosecutor who would be going up against Annalise. On November 4, 2014, it was announced that Oscar winner
Marcia Gay Harden Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an American actress. She is the recipient of accolades including an Academy Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for a Critics' Choice Movie Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards. Born ...
was cast in the second half of the first season for a secret recurring role. On December 15, 2014, it was announced that Oscar nominee and Emmy winner
Cicely Tyson Cicely Louise Tyson (December 19, 1924January 28, 2021) was an American actress. In a career which spanned more than seven decades in film, television and theatre, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. Tyson recei ...
would appear in an episode in the second half of the season.


Reception


Critical response

The first season of ''How to Get Away with Murder'' received positive reviews, with most praising Viola Davis' performance. On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, it has a rating of 85%, based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''How to Get Away with Murder'' isn't conceptually original, but it delivers thrills with melodramatic twists and a captivating lead."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
gave season one of the show a score of 68 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Mary McNamara from ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' wrote about Viola Davis' performance: "...all eyes are on Davis, Tony winner and Oscar nominee. Magnetic and intimidating, Davis creates an implacable surface beneath which shimmers all manner of fleet and startled emotions. Desire and fear, certainty, self-doubt and resolve are conjured in an instant with the angle of a glance, the lowering of an eyelid and then released as if they were never there." ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''s Melissa Maerz described Davis' performance as "powerfully layered." David Hinckle, from ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'', said that the series does not serve up enough fun unlike Rhimes' other shows, ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' and ''
Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
''. Frazier Moore, ''Associated Press'', wrote that the show "promises to be twisty, wicked, dark and fun. And it stars Viola Davis, who brings life to a character of endless calculations and mystery."


Ratings

The series premiere had more than 14million viewers on live broadcast, and over 20million with DVR. The first episode set a record for DVR playback viewers with 6million, surpassing the January 27, 2014, record of 5.6million set by the pilot of ''
The Blacklist ''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show follows Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal who voluntarily sur ...
''.


Accolades

;Critics' top ten lists * No. 9 ''
The Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History ...
'' * No. 1 ''
People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People ...
'' * No. 9 ''
Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...
'' * No. 10 ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper publis ...
'' *  – ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' *  – ''
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
''


DVD release

The DVD released was first released in Region 1 on August 4, 2015.


References


External links

* * {{How to Get Away with Murder 2014 American television seasons 2015 American television seasons
Season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambiguat ...