MOST ANTICIPATED EPIC & PERIOD SET 2019 SERIES: CATHERINE THE GREAT, BEECHAM HOUSE, MEDICI, WAR OF THE WORLDS, HIS DARK MATERIALS, NAME OF THE ROSE, SPANISH PRINCESS, LES MISERABLES AND OTHERS!

    UPCOMING NEW EPIC DRAMAS

LES MISERABLES

One of the first ones to arrive is BBC One's six part adaptation of LES MISERABLES which will air in UK from December 30th and later on at PBS too. Starring Lily Collins and Dominic West it is set against a backdrop of post-Napoleonic France as unrest begins to grip the city of Paris once more. Spy more here!

THE LONG SONG

Arriving a bit sooner, also on BBC One, from December 18th is three part 19th century saga THE LONG SONG starring Jack Lowden and Hayley Atwell bringing the story of an enslaved woman (Tamara Lawrance) living in Jamaica in 1838 under British rule.Spy more here!

DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES

Already airing on BBC is another three part historical drama DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES starring Jamie Dornan and Matthew Rhys. It is an epic tale of love, betrayal, deception, and revenge set in the Irish countryside in 1885. Spy more here!

MEDICI: THE MAGNIFICENT

This one is technically a 2nd season not a new series, but the title and the cast are new: MEDICI: THE MAGNIFICENT has already aired in Italy but will air soon on Netflix with Daniel Sharman playing Lorenzo De Medici who is now taking over the family's business with his brother played by Bradley James. Spy more here!

GENTLEMAN JACK

BBC is also preparing 19th century series set in Shibden Hall where GENTLEMAN JACK also known as Anne Lister (Surrane Jones) returns to Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1832, determined to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home Shibden Hall. But to do that she will dress and act as a man! Spy more here!

BEECHAM HOUSE

Rival ITV is taking us to 19th century India in six part saga BEECHAM HOUSE starring Tom Bateman, Kabir Bedi and Leo Suter! This lavishly exotic saga will offer us a look at the lives of residents living in a Delhi mansion during the cusp of 19th century. Spy more here!

CATHERINE THE GREAT

Sky and HBO will take us to glorious mother Russia and imperial court at Hermitage where Helen Mirren will take the role of CATHERINE THE GREAT in the story of her mature years when she already had many stunning victories and even more lovers. Spy more here!

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS

BBC is also finishing the production of their three part adaptation of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS starring Rafe Spall, Greg Kinnear and Eleanor Tomlinson in a story set in London during the Edwardian era, where George and Amy's attempt to start a life together is interrupted by a Martian invasion of Earth. Spy more here!

HIS DARK MATERIALS

BBC is also coproducing another major fantasy adaptation but with HBO! Eight part saga HIS DARK MATERIALS will star James McAvoy as Lord Azriel in the story about two children who embark on a magical adventure through parallel universes. Spy more here!

THE NAME OF THE ROSE

Italian Rai and HBO are also preparing a new eight episode TV adaptation of THE NAME OF THE ROSE following John Turturro as a medieval friar who investigates a series of mysterious deaths at an abbey. The adaptation of Umberto Eco's novel also stars Rupert Everett and Alessio Boni. Spy more here!

LAMBS OF GOD

Australian Foxtel is preparing gothic tale LAMBS OF GOD in which Ann Dowd, Essie Davis and Jessica Barden are playing three nuns whose life in solitude, far away from the rest of the world in a remote and rugged island on the coast, is interrupted by the arrival of a hot as hell priest played by Sam Reid. Spy more here!

THE SPANISH PRINCESS

After White Queen and White Princess, Starz will offer us more royal drama in THE SPANISH PRINCESS which will see Charlotte Hope playing the Spanish princess, Catherine of Aragon, as she navigates the royal lineage of England with an eye on the throne. Elliot Cowan and Olly Rix also star. Spy more here!

  RETURNING EPIC DRAMA
Beside the above mentioned new dramas, let us not forget that we can expect the new season of the ones we already love, from the third season of

Victoria returns with the third season this January!

VICTORIA at ITV starting probably in January, to the final seasons of POLDARK and DURRELLS starting probably next spring, and also the

Knightfall returns to History with the second season and new cast!

third season of Sky's 17th century saga JAMESTOWN. And while you are already enjoying the third season of medieval saga THE LAST KINGDOM

Jamestown returns with the third season this spring!

over at Netflix, you can expect more knights in the second season of KNIGHTFALL at History Channel too! Hulu's HARLOTS should also return with the third season next summer!

1ST THE LONG SONG BBC 19TH CENTURY JAMAICA SET SERIES TRAILER WITH JACK LOWDEN, HAYLEY ATWELL! HERMAN MELVILLE'S BENITO CERENO SLAVERY NOVEL TO BECOME SF SERIES! BLACK JACOBINS HAITIAN 18TH CENTURY REVOLUTION NOVEL TO BECOME TV SERIES

 'THE LONG SONG' TRAILER 

 FOR BBC JAMAICA SET SERIES

We are all about colonial slavery today! BBC One has released a trailer for THE LONG SONG which will start airing in UK December 18 as the three part  adaptation of the novel by Andrea Levy, starring Jack Lowden and Hayley Atwell.

THE LONG SONG IS SET
during the final days of slavery in 19th century Jamaica and tells the story of the strong willed, young slave July (Tamara Lawrance) on a plantation

Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden lead the cast of The Long Song

owned by her odious mistress Caroline Mortimer (Hayley Atwell). When a charming new arrival to the island, Robert Goodwin (Jack Lowden),

The three part mini series will start airing December 18th on BBC One

becomes the new overseer, July and Caroline are both intrigued by his seemingly revolutionary determination to improve the plantation for the

Our beloved Jack Lowden takes the male lead in the epic saga

slaves and mistress alike. Check out the trailer for the new three part historical mini series below and tell us what you think!:

 NEW BOOK ADAPTATIONS

MELVILLE'S BENITO CERENO

Benito Cereno will become a sf series

Meanwhile, Deadline reports that Herman Melville's novella about a fictionalized revolt of a Spanish slave ship BENITO CERENO will be adapted into a TV series but set in deep space! Steven Katz will write and produce the story, inspired by the novella about slavery, the nature of man and good versus evil, and turned into a science fiction thriller which will revolve around an accidental encounter between a human commercial ship and an alien slave freighter, where the human captain navigates a world of inter species slavery in a distant future with frightening parallels to our past.
THE BLACK JACOBINS
You can also expect a TV series on Haitian Revolution since Kwame Kwei Armah will turn C. L. R. James' book THE BLACK JACOBINS into a historical drama.  The ten part saga will chart the history of the Haitian

The story of Haitian revolution will be turned into a TV series

Revolution of 1791-1804 beginning with the first slave revolt of 1791 and ending with the Haitian declaration of independence in 1804, while also exploring the nature of leadership, its compromises, its glories and the range of personal cost it claims.

JACK LOWDEN, HAYLEY ATWELL TO LEAD BBC'S 'LONG SONG' 19TH CENTURY JAMAICAN SET TV SAGA! 'DOWNTON ABBEY' FILM SHOOTING THIS SUMMER OFFICIALLY!

    'THE LONG SONG' SERIES

JACK LOWDEN & HAYLEY ATWELL TO LEAD NEW BBC EPIC SAGA

And we are back, after his Netflix movie Calibre and yesterday's trailer for Mary Queen of Scots in which he plays Lord Darnley, with our favourite

Jack Lowden will take the lead male role

Scotsman, dearest Jack Lowden, who's just been cast together with Hayley Atwell in BBC's new epic mini saga THE LONG SONG! Three part adaptation of Andrea Levy's will also star Tamara Lawrence, Lenny Henry, Doña Croll, Sharon Duncan Brewster, Ayesha Antoine, Arinzé Kene, Ansu Kabia, Jordan Bolger, Joy Richardson, Madeleine Mantock and Leo Bill!

THE LONG SONG, set during the final days of slavery in 19th century Jamaica, follows the strong willed, young slave July (Tamara Lawrance) on a plantation owned by her odious mistress Caroline Mortimer (Hayley Atwell). When a charming new arrival to the island, Robert Goodwin (Jack Lowden), becomes the new overseer, July and Caroline are both intrigued by his seemingly revolutionary determination to improve the plantation for the slaves and mistress alike. The story is told from July’s perspective as she looks back over her life; the tone is funny, defiant and indomitable. It’s a story about the injustices that humans

First look at Tamara Lawrence and Hayley Atwell in The Long Song mini series

inflict upon each other and the unexpected ways in which people’s humanity sometimes overrules their prejudices. Three hundred years of slavery finally came to a chaotic end on the British ruled Caribbean island of Jamaica in 1838.

    'DOWNTON ABBEY' MOVIE

STARTS SHOOTING THIS SUMMER

In other period set news today, the production will officially commence this summer with the old cast on the movie version of DOWNTON ABBEY! Julian Fellowes has written the script (that apparently 'charms, thrills and

The movie will be produced by Carnival Films who did our fave Jamestown

entertains) which will be directed by The Book Thief's Brian Percival. The original cast of the turn of the century series included Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, John Carter, Jessica Brown Findlay, Matthew Goode!

BBC ANNOUNCES MINI SERIES ADAPTATION OF 'CHRISTMAS CAROL' BY TOM HARDY & STEVEN KNIGHT & CARIBBEAN SET 19TH CENTURY DRAMA 'THE LONG SONG'

  'A CHRISTMAS CAROL' 

BBC TO START ADAPTATIONS OF CHARLES DICKENS' CLASSICS

You've seen first pics from their new period set drama The Miniaturist yesterday, and today we have more news coming from BBC who are now

It will be the first of a series of Dickens' adaptations

looking to adapt a series of Dickens' works beginning with A CHRISTMAS CAROL which will be adapted into three part mini series by Tom Hardy's production house, Ridley Scott and Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly cold hearted boss, who is visited by four ghosts from the past, present and the future, on a freezing Christmas Eve, and must face up to how his self interested, penny pinching behaviour has impacted his own life and those around him, leaving him in a paranoid bubble of fear, will air on Christmas 2019! This Christmas, meanwhile, will see The Miniaturist and new Little Women mini series airing on the small screens in Britain.

  'THE LONG SONG' 

BBC TO MAKE 19TH CENTURY JAMAICA SET MINI SERIES
BBC One has also announced a three part adaptation of Andrea Levy’s epic and award winning novel THE LONG SONG about the dying days of slavery

The book was shortlisted for Man Booker Prize

in Jamaica. It follows a strong willed young female slave July on a Jamaican plantation in the 19th century. She is a natural survivor, who begins her story as a slave, but ends it as the mother of a gentleman. Told from July’s perspective as she looks back over her life, the tone is funny, defiant and indomitable. Above all, it’s a powerful story about love and survival, with vivid set pieces of social unrest and turmoil, and characters who change and develop in unpredictable ways. It’s also a story about the injustices which humans inflict upon each other, and the unexpected ways in which people’s humanity sometimes overrules their prejudices.