What would happen if a global Rapture-like event caused 2 percent of the Earth's population to vanish without explanation?

That's the enticing question explored in the new HBO drama "The Leftovers." Unfortunately, it's a tale so strange, grim and pessimistic that you wonder if anyone will stick around to find out. Or will viewers, too, just abruptly go "poof"?

"The Leftovers," based on a 2011 best-seller by Tom Perrotta, opens three years after what is referred to as "The Sudden Departure" and focuses on the residents of Mapleton, a small town where those who were left behind still struggle to come to terms with what happened.

Was it an act of God? Something else? And why, exactly, didn't they make the cut?

Amanda Warren as Mayor Lucy Warburton, Frank Harts as Officer Dennis Luckey and Justin Theroux as Kevin in &#8217;The Leftovers.&#8217;
Amanda Warren as Mayor Lucy Warburton, Frank Harts as Officer Dennis Luckey and Justin Theroux as Kevin in 'The Leftovers.' (Paul Schiraldi/HBO/Warner Brothers)

Among the show's executive producers is Damon Lindelof, who, as the co-creator of "Lost," has lots of experience with unexplainable phenomena. Also involved are Perrotta, whose book serves as inspiration, if not bible, for the show, and Peter Berg, the guy who gave us "Friday Night Lights."

With such heavy hitters, you'd naturally assume that we're in for something gloriously enthralling. But based on early episodes, "The Leftovers" comes up short.

The problems start with a scattershot pilot episode that tries so conspicuously to establish an atmospheric fog of mood, mystery and ambiguity that any semblance of a narrative trail is lost in the haze. Consequently, viewers are made to work harder than necessary to find their way to the heart of the story.


This is somewhat surprising, given that Perrotta is listed as a co-writer on the pilot (with Lindelof). His thought-provoking book did a much better job of setting up its premise in a thorough yet accessible way, and immediately connected readers to the story's broken people and their existential anxieties. But something got lost between the pages and the screen.

And so viewers not familiar with the book are left to figure out why Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), the town's beleaguered chief of police, is on edge all the time. Or why members of a creepy, cultlike group called the Guilty Remnant have taken a vow of silence, wear white clothes, puff cigarettes and stalk their neighbors. Or why a congressman is being blindfolded and delivered to a mysterious rural compound in the dead of night.

Maybe the writers were determined to resist slipping into expositional overload. Or maybe they just trust that we are smart enough to figure things out. That's commendable to some degree, but this isn't "Lost," and it doesn't have to be.

Then again, there are times when you wish "The Leftovers" could be more like "Lost." None of the residents of Mapleton, for example, is initially warm or likable. On the contrary, most are off-putting. And the show's lack of even small touches of humor is stunning, when you consider that Lindelof was responsible for guys like "Lost's" Hurley and Sawyer, characters who could put a smile on your face even amid the chaos and dread.

So what we're left with in "The Leftovers" is a show that, at least early on, is nothing but chaos and dread and bleakness and chill, as it relentlessly delves into the most troubling aspects of human nature.

Ah, but there are signs of hope: So far in Mapleton, we've yet to spot a smoke monster or polar bear.

NEW 'WORLD' ORDER: Now, for something completely different. For fans of the beloved 1990s sitcom "Boy Meets World," the wait is finally over. The much buzzed-about sequel, "Girl Meets World," debuts this week (9:45 p.m. Friday, Disney Channel).

The show has original stars Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel reprising their roles. Now, the high school sweethearts (Cory and Topanga) are married and have a family. Among their kids is the "girl" -- seventh-grader Riley Matthews (Rowan Blanchard).

"Girls Meet World" will debut immediately following the newest Disney Channel movie "Zapped" (8 p.m., Friday). It stars Oakland native Zendaya as a teen named Zoey, who discovers a phone app that can control the opposite sex -- something many females would surely cherish.

"Zapped" is the latest in a long line of showbiz projects for Zendaya. Last week, it was announced that she has signed on to play the lead role in a Lifetime movie about Aaliyah, the pop singer who died in a plane crash at the age of 22.


'the leftovers'

* * ½

When: 10 p.m. Sunday
Where: HBO