Is 'The Purge' TV series pure fiction or a vision of our grim future? Watch the first trailer.

Each new release in The Purge series pushes us closer to the central question: How much of this is actually fiction and how much is a taste of what humanity's future looks like?

For the USA Network's 10-episode televised take on the series, it certainly appears as if we're getting more of the same. The "all crimes are legal for one night each year" conceit, an idea dreamed up by the totalitarian figures presiding over the United States of America (fictional ones), is central to the story.

This trailer doesn't give up the goods on who the central players are in this story. There are some suggestions in the various snippets that they hail from different walks of life, but character development will have to wait for a later date. This trailer is about capturing a vibe, and it more than succeeds.