Netflix is about to give Stephen Graham fans what they really, really want as chilling thriller Bodies is about to land. And it might just make up for him barely featuring in Boiling Point…
When BBC One announced there’d be a spin-off series of the award-winning film, fans of the Lancashire-born actor were excited to follow up on his character Andy Jones. But they’ve been disappointed with his pitiful amount of scenes.
So much so, that some have even turned off already. But there’s good news incoming, as Netflix’s new series Bodies is streaming from Thursday, October 19 2023.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Stephen Graham series. Disclaimer: He barely appears in episode 1, but it’ll be worth the wait when he does!
What is Stephen Graham thriller Bodies on Netflix about?
Bodies on Netflix is not to be confused with the Jed Mercurio medical drama of the same name. But it promises to be just as good.
The idea is this: Four detectives. Four timelines. One body.
The thriller is a police procedural drama with a twist. When a body – the same body – is found on Longharvest Lane in London’s East End in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053, one detective from each period must investigate.
As connections are drawn across the decades, the detectives soon discover their investigations are linked, and an enigmatic political leader becomes increasingly central. Enter the excellent Stephen Graham as Elias Mannix.
Did Elias have a part to play in the murder? Or is something far more sinister at play? To solve the mystery, the four detectives must somehow collaborate and uncover a conspiracy spanning over 150 years.
How many episodes is it?
Bodies on Netflix is eight episodes.
Each instalment is one hour long, and will be available to watch as a boxset on the streaming service.
Is it based on a book?
Bodies on Netflix is based on the “mind-bending” graphic novel by Si Spencer. The eight-issue limited series was first published in 2014. It’s described as “an era-jumping murder mystery set in London”.
We meet Inspector Edmond Hillinghead, who is London’s most diligent detective in 1890 – a time when Jack the Ripper stalked the streets. He is forced to investigate when an unidentified male is found dead. And the killer may have powerful allies…
The action jumps to London in WWII-blighted 1940. And Inspector Charles Whiteman discovers a mysterious murder victim. We’re then taken to 2014, when muslim Detective Sergeant Shahara Hasan discovers a corpse on the streets of London.
Later, in London 2050, Maplewood is one of the last survivors of a terrifying techno-apocalypse. But the amnesiac young woman can barely understand the body she’s discovered…
One reader called the graphic novel “an absolute belter”, but others called the ending “silly” and “disappointing”.
Who’s in the cast of Bodies with Stephen Graham?
Stephen Graham stars as Elias Mannix in the drama. Of course, TV viewers know Stephen from Line of Duty, Peaky Blinders, and This is England.
Actor Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, who’s known for playing Grigory Petrov in The Great, stars as Charlie Whiteman. Meanwhile, Harem star Shira Haas portrays Iris Maplewood.
The Sandman’s Amaka Okafor is Shahara Hasan, while Andor’s Kyle Soller plays Alfred Hillinghead. The Midwich Cuckoos actress Synnove Karlsen also appears in the drama, alongside Michael Jibson who is currently playing Bill Cotton in The Reckoning.
Derek Riddell, Nitin Ganatra, Greta Scacchi, Nicholas Farrell, and Alexandra Roach also star.
When does Netflix drama Bodies with Stephen Graham start?
Bodies streams from Thursday, October 19 2023 on Netflix. Eager beavers can watch from 8am that morning.
Creator and writer Paul Tomalin described it as “mind-snapping”. He says: “It’s a police-procedural show that shifts and transforms from moment to moment, so you never know what’s coming next…
“This is a kinetic, ambitious thrill ride – a wolf in [a] detective drama’s clothing.”
Read more: All the times Stephen Graham and wife Hannah Walters have worked together on screen
Bodies streams on Netflix from Thursday, October 19, 2023.
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