If you like the sound of a drama with nail-biting episodes set in the Old West – then you’re in luck with BBC Two’s new drama The English, but is it a true story?
But what is it about, how many many episodes are there and who is in the cast alongside the brilliant Emily Blunt?
And do we have a start date and trailer?
Here’s everything you need to know about The English and if it’s based on a true story…
Is The English a true story? What’s it about?
The English follows an aristocratic woman, Lady Cornelia Locke, who has recently lost her son and is desperate to take revenge on his murderer.
Her mission takes her to the recently-established town of Hoxem, Wyoming…
On the way, she joins forces with Pawnee ex-Cavalry scout Eli Whipp.
Pawnee is a Central Plains Indian tribe that historically lived in Nebraska and northern Kansas, but today are based in Oklahoma.
They come together in 1890 Western America, but are unaware that they have a shared past.
In Hoxem, the local sheriff Robert Marshall and a young widow named Martha Myers are investigating a series of baffling murders.
When Cornelia and Eli arrive there, they come face to face with their intertwined history and their new shared future…
It’s a Bridgerton-esque period drama with a thriller concept, and we think you’re going to love it!
Who is in the cast?
The English features a truly amazing cast!
Emily Blunt, the BAFTA-nominated film actress and star of A Quiet Place, plays Lady Cornelia Locke.
She also serves as an executive producer on the series.
Chaske Spencer plays Eli Whipp, and he’s best known for playing Sam in the Twilight film series.
Belfast-born actor Stephen Rea plays local sheriff Robert Marshall.
You might recognise him for his role as Martin Killane in Netflix’s The Stranger.
Valeria Pachner, who recently starred in the blockbuster Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, plays the young widow Martha Myers.
Rafe Spall from The Salisbury Poisonings, and Victoria actor Tom Hughes also star.
Toby Jones from Acorn TV‘s Detectorists also joins the cast alongside Rome star Ciarán Hinds.
How many episodes of The English will there be?
The English will feature six episodes in total.
Each episode is an hour long.
So we have six hours of pure escapism to look forward to!
Is The English a true story? What’s the start date?
The English will begin on BBC Two on November 10 2022 at 9pm.
After the first episode, all the episodes will be available to binge on BBC iPlayer.
But if you’d rather watch weekly, they will air weekly every Thursday at 9pm on BBC Two.
In the US and Australia, the show will be available to binge-watch on Amazon Prime Video.
BBC Two/iPlayer have the series exclusively in the UK, while the rest of the world has it on Prime.
Where was The English filmed?
While it may look like the American Wild West, the show was actually filmed in Spain!
It was filmed in Almeria in Andalucia.
This is where great Westerns like Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade have previously been filmed!
Is The English a true story?
While The English is purely fictional, the show does take some inspiration from real history.
Eli Whipp is an ex-Cavalry scout from the Pawnee tribe.
Pawnee scouts were employed by the United States Army to aid in the ongoing conflicts between settlers and the Native Americans in the US.
Pawnee scouts were disbanded in 1877, around 13 years before The English is set.
Chaske Spencer, who plays the character, says: “What surprised me about what I found in the scripts is the Pawnee scouts, and how proud they were.
“That’s a subject that I wasn’t too aware of, and never read about in the history of Native Americans.
“They had a long history of being very proud of their country, and I wanted to make sure that I honoured that in the character and for the Pawnee tribe.”
In her opening dialogue, Cornelia reflects on how all European settlers were called The English, and this is also true!
Why were European settlers called The English?
Actor Tom Hughes (who plays aristocrat Thomas Trafford) reveals that he learnt a lot about the historical period through starring in the show.
He says: “The English was the name that was coined for the influx of people coming from, predominantly Europe, but all over really, to partake in this land-grab and fortune trail.
“Looking through a moment in America’s history where everything is up in the air, to learn about the impact that influx had was breath-taking.
“I knew certain things about it but not in the way that I feel I do now.”
Other history from the 1890s also weaves its way through the drama.
Creator Hugh Blick says this about ensuring historical accuracy: “I sent the scripts to Crystal Echo-Hawk, CEO of IllumiNative, the Native-led racial and social justice organisation.
“She then introduced me to representatives of the Pawnee and Cheyenne Nations each of whom are specialists in the cultural and military history of their respective Nations.
“The journey taken with IllumiNative and the Pawnee and Cheyenne advisors, has been long, detailed and hugely rewarding.”
Hugh also explains that the series was inspired by a trip to Montana he made when he was 18.
He shares: “We made a hunting buddy I called Chief, but he wasn’t a chief. He called me English.
“I never knew his real name, nor he mine. I regretted that. This was a kernel for The English.”
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Is there a trailer for The English?
There certainly is a trailer for The English! You can watch the video for the trailer below.
The teaser shows Lady Cornelia Locke and Eli Whipp meeting for the first time.
Cornelia says” “My son. He is dead.
“And up on powder river, there is a man trying to forget that he ever existed.
“So, I’m going to go up there to remind him.”
The rest of the trailer shows them joining forces in some pretty tense action scenes.
We can’t wait to see more!
The English continues on Thursdays at 9pm. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer now.
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