List of The Handmaid's Tale episodes  "The Handmaid's Tale" is an American dystopian drama web television series created by Bruce Miller, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. The plot features a dystopian future following a Second American Civil War wherein a totalitarian society subjects fertile women, called "Handmaids", into child-bearing servitude. The series features an ensemble cast, led by Elisabeth Moss, and also stars Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O. T. Fagbenle, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley, Amanda Brugel, and Bradley Whitford. The series premiered on April 26, 2017, on Hulu. A second season aired in 2018. The third season premiered on June 5, 2019. In July 2019, the series was renewed for a fourth season.