Prophecy" episode 1 ahead! Screenwriters Schapker and Ademu-John keep a tight rein on the series' dour tone and bleak visuals that do present flashes of pure sci-fi geekiness, like the premiere episode's Butlerian Jihad clash with the thinking machines paired with Valya's passionate voice-over of how the Harkonnens were branded cowards and banished.

HBO's new "Dune" series from Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker kicks off with a 66-minute premiere episode.

Prophecy has stepped into that Sunday night slot to keep us entertained. The show from Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker takes place years before the rule of Atreides, and critics say the new series "delivers twist after twist" in this tale,