The BBC has announced the acquisition of ‘The Sentinels,’ an eight-part French drama series, for broadcast on BBC iPlayer and BBC Four. Produced by STUDIOCANAL, this wartime sci-fi series blends elements of action and espionage, promising an immersive viewing experience.
The series was created by Guillaume Lemans in collaboration with Xabi Molia and draws its inspiration from the graphic novels ‘Les Sentinelles’ by Xavier Dorison and Enrique Breccia.
Set against the backdrop of World War I, the narrative follows Gabriel Ferraud, a severely wounded soldier. He is recruited into a clandestine French military initiative aimed at developing the ultimate weapon: enhanced human beings. After receiving a mysterious serum, Gabriel is endowed with extraordinary strength, speed, and resilience.
He subsequently joins an elite unit known as the Sentinels, a group of augmented soldiers specifically engineered for frontline combat. However, as the war intensifies, Gabriel uncovers a profound and unsettling truth that could potentially reshape the course of the conflict.
‘The Sentinels’ is directed by Thierry Poiraud and Édouard Salier, with the screenplay penned by Guillaume Lemans, Xabi Molia, and Raphaëlle Richet. The cast features Louis Peres in the lead role as Gabriel Ferraud, supported by Thibaut Evrard, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Carl Malapa, Olivia Ross, and Ouassini Embarek, among others.
Nick Lee, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, commented on the acquisition, describing ‘The Sentinels’ as “a fully immersive war drama, drenched in adrenaline.” He highlighted how the graphic novel origins have been “cleverly adapted into a premium television experience by CANAL+,” anticipating that BBC audiences will “revel in the blend of steampunk meets robo-cop.” Lee also noted the “Frankenstein-ian level of depth and empathy to this story that really grips,” encouraging viewers to “prepare for something totally different and unforgivingly entertaining.”
The series, comprising eight 52-minute episodes, is produced by Lionel Uzan and Thierry Sorel for Federation Studio France, and by Delphine Clot and Guillaume Lemans for Esprits Frappeurs. It is an original creation by CANAL+, with STUDIOCANAL managing its international distribution.
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