Set in Glendale, California, in the 1930s, this is the story of middle-class housewife Mildred Pierce's attempts to maintain her and her family's social position during the Great Depression. Mildred Pierce is a five-part miniseries that first aired on HBO on March 27, 2011. Adapted from James M. Cain's 1941 novel, it was directed by Todd Haynes and stars Kate Winslet in the title role, alongside Guy Pearce and Evan Rachel Wood. Carter Burwell wrote the original score for the miniseries.