<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Website </Td> </Tr> <P> 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 . It was ordered by the streaming service Hulu as a straight - to - series order of 10 episodes, for which production began in late 2016 . The plot follows a dystopian future following a Second American Civil War wherein fertile women, called "Handmaids", are forced into sexual and child - bearing servitude . </P> <P> The first three episodes of the series premiered on April 26, 2017; the subsequent seven episodes aired on a weekly basis every Wednesday . In May 2017, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on April 25, 2018 . At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Handmaid's Tale won eight awards from thirteen nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, becoming the first series on a streaming service to win an Emmy for Outstanding Series . It also won Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series--Drama and Best Actress for Elisabeth Moss . </P> <P> In May 2018, Hulu announced that the series had been renewed for a third season . </P>

When did the handmaid's tale season 2 start