There’s good news in store for fans of Agatha Christie and British period dramas, as the BBC’s new drama Hercule has added a host of familiar faces to its cast.
Edward Bluemel (My Lady Jane) leads the six-part series as a young Hercule Poirot, taking on the role of one of the most famous detectives in fiction. With filming set to begin shortly, the BBC and BritBox have announced ten new additions.
Who is in the cast?
Joining Edward Bluemel are Henry Ashton, James D’Arcy, Calvin Demba, Phil Dunning, Jack Gleeson, Tamsin Greig, James Nesbitt, Guy Remmers, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Mawaan Rizwan.
The ensemble cast includes some very familiar names. Jack Gleeson is best known for Game of Thrones, while James Nesbitt has starred in Cold Feet, The Missing and The Hobbit.
Tamsin Greig is known for Belgravia and Episodes, while James D’Arcy has appeared in Oppenheimer and Broadchurch.
Henry Ashton recently appeared in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, while Guy Remmers has starred in The Buccaneers. The remaining cast includes Calvin Demba (Supacell), Phil Dunning (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Rebecca Rittenhouse (Maggie) and Mawaan Rizwan (Juice).
Details of the characters they will play have yet to be revealed, so there is still plenty to discover about the new series.
What is Hercule about?
The drama will go right back to the beginning of Poirot’s career as a detective, following his earliest cases in London before he becomes the world-famous detective that we know from Agatha Christie’s novels.
The story centres on three of Christie’s early stories, while also covering Poirot’s growing friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings and his early encounters with Scotland Yard’s James Japp.
A new nemesis will also be introduced, adding another intriguing element to the story as the young Poirot begins to establish himself as a detective.
The BBC describes the series as both ‘an intimate study of Poirot himself’ and ‘a portrait of Britain between the wars’.
For fans who know Poirot as the meticulous, famously established detective of Christie’s later stories, the new series promises to offer a fresh look at the character in a time before he became the Poirot we know today.
When will Hercule be released?
Filming is due to take place primarily in Liverpool, with the series expected to air in 2027.
In the UK, Hercule will air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer, while the series will be available on BritBox in North America.
The six-part series was first announced in June, when Edward Bluemel was revealed as the actor taking over the role of the iconic Belgian detective.
With filming now approaching and a strong ensemble cast joining Bluemel, anticipation is likely to build as more details about the production emerge.
We’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear more!
