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[Ydelnae]

James Keziah Delaney returns to 1814 London after 10 years in Africa to discover that he has been left a mysterious legacy by his father. Driven to wage war on those who have wronged him, Delaney finds himself in a face-off against the East India Company, whilst playing a dangerous game between two warring nations, Britain and America.

Taboo is a forthcoming British drama television miniseries created by Steven Knight ('Peaky Blinders', 'Locke'), Tom Hardy, and his father Edward "Chips" Hardy. The 8-episode miniseries premieres on 7 January, 2017 on BBC One in the UK and on January 10, 2017 on FX in the US.​

Tom Hardy as James Keziah Delaney

Oona Chaplin as Zilpha Geary

David Hayman as Brace

Jonathan Pryce as Stuart Strange

Michael Kelly as Dr Dumbarton

Recurring Cast

Jessie Buckley as Lorna Bow
Jefferson Hall as Thorne Geary
Ed Hogg as Godfrey
Leo Bill as Wilton
Christopher Fairbank as Ibbotson
Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Appleby
Richard Dixon as Pettifer
Jason Watkins as Solomon Coop

Episode 1
7 January 2017 (UK) | 10 January 2017 (U.S.)​

Directed by: Kristoffer Nyholm

It is 1814 and James Delaney reappears in London, a changed and haunted man, presumed dead in Africa many years before. His return finds his father, Horace Delaney, dead and a country at war with France and the United States. Set to inherit what is left of his father's shipping empire, James's arrival not only threatens to disrupt the plans of his half-sister Zilpha and her husband Thorne, but also the political ambitions of the mighty East India Company, chaired by Sir Stuart Strange.

Episode 2
14 January 2017 (UK) | 17 January 2017 (U.S.)​

Directed by: Kristoffer Nyholm

Having made his shock entrance into London society, James Delaney sets about reclaiming his legacy and establishing a new life for himself. While the city views him with hostility and suspicion, James begins to enlist allies in unlikely places and with irregular loyalties.

At the reading of his father's will, an unexpected arrival threatens to disrupt his plans, and it is not long before the poisonous nature of his new-found inheritance is finally revealed. Not only must he face down two of the mightiest powers in London, but there are equally complicated matters much closer to home. And then there is his past, which will not be denied.

Episode 3
21 January 2017 (UK) | 24 January 2017 (U.S.)​

Directed by: Kristoffer Nyholm

James Delaney finds himself alone with the mysterious Dr Dumbarton, discovering an unlikely new ally. With enemies lurking in every corner, James decides only radical action and perilous affiliations will be able to safeguard him from those intent on his demise.

As he works to prevent further attempts on his life, James realises there are other softer options - people close by - that his enemies may choose to destroy in his place.

Episode 4
28 January 2017 (UK) | 31 January 2017 (U.S.)​

Directed by: Kristoffer Nyholm

The Crown makes a devious move against James Delaney, while the Company has its own reasons for frustrating the plot. As London begins closing its doors to him, James sets out to protect his business by any means necessary. With empire and mayhem in mind, James adds depraved chemist Cholmondeley to his company with explosive consequences. Meanwhile, Lorna aims to prove she's anything but a weak link, while buried secrets become a matter of yet more intrigue and violence.

Episode 5
4 February 2017 (UK) | 7 February 2017 (U.S.)​

Directed by: Anders Engström

After a duel at dawn takes a surprising turn, James Delaney is blackmailed into a dangerous mission that finds him in a deadly race against time. Elsewhere, Thorne's jealousy intensifies into a vicious and spiritual realm, while animosity between the Crown and the Company escalates to a new level.

Episode 6
11 February 2017 (UK) | 14 February 2017 (U.S.)​

Directed by: Anders Engström

As James Delaney's trading plans start to unravel, a family revelation drives him into dark and haunted places, both real and emotional. Those around him, his household and family included, seem to be spiralling out of control, with terrible prices being paid. Meanwhile, at the East India Company, a frustrated Sir Stuart Strange calls for all-out war against James, threatening to destroy all he has built. As James reacts to this upsurge of chaos, things take a dire turn.

Episode 7
18 February 2017 (UK) | 21 February 2017 (U.S.)​

Directed by: Anders Engström

James Delaney has seemingly lost everything but, when he suffers a devastating betrayal, he realises even his freedom is in jeopardy. Armed with the opportunity they have been longing for, the Crown and Company conspire to bring him down once and for all.

Elsewhere, Lorna sets out to discover the truth, whilst Zilpha perhaps has already found her own.

Episode 8
25 February 2017 (UK) | 28 February 2017 (U.S.)​

Directed by: Anders Engström

It is the time of final reckoning. James Delaney confronts Sir Stuart Strange of the East India Company with the cold, hard truth. Revelations about those surrounding him are unearthed and met with deadly ramifications.

Meanwhile, James conspires to escape, but as the cold enmity of the Prince Regent turns into a lethal fury, the Crown unleashes one final plan to destroy him. Time is running out, scores need to be settled and tragic consequences must be borne.

The Lincoln Journal Star [100]

Taboo, like “Fargo” before it, is an original, highly imaginative series from FX. Here, the Hardys and Knight blend a tale of intrigue set against the supernatural. The drama is eerie, even haunting.

CNN [70]

FX dramas are invariably gritty, but the mood here seems organic to the story, in the way it did, say, on "Deadwood." Whether Taboo can rise to that level remains to be seen, but based on first impressions, Hardy's TV return is pretty hardy indeed.

Entertainment Weekly [83]

Much of Taboo's fun derives from watching Hardy's charisma explode onto a small-screen costume drama. His Delaney is infused with bull-in-a-china-shop paranoia; he looks trapped, and the only way out is to chew all the gorgeous scenery.

Boston Globe [80]

I was fascinated by the first three episodes of Taboo. Some of the storytelling is muddled, which may well be intentional, and the hints of the supernatural are at times distracting. But still, if you like your historical fiction grim and your cobblestones dirt-caked, if you don’t mind looking into some of humanity’s bleaker facets, this one’s for you.

BBC - Full series trailer

'Dear James' Promo
'Evil' Promo
'The Prestige' Promo
'Little Man' Promo

 

[Cornballer]

Hi. I already have an OT prepped that was going up tomorrow. I'll just piggy back on yours here...

Taboo is an 8-part miniseries that begins on January 7th on BBC One and January 10th on FX. FX will air a new episode every Tuesday for eight consecutive weeks. The show stars Tom Hardy as a "spiritual, hybrid shaman-cum-cannibal-serial-killer-type" returning to London from Africa in 1814 to claim his inheritance. It also boasts an impressive cast of period piece regulars. "In part it's Hamlet, there's Oedipus in there, there's Heart of Darkness... there's lots of different stories" The full description of the series is listed below.

Note that the show will be airing earlier in the UK on BBC One than it airs on FX in the US. While I'm not going to be rigorous about spoilers for those watching it earlier, please be courteous towards your fellow posters and try to not reveal anything major. Similarly, US posters that are spoiler-phobic would be wise to stay out of the thread the few days before it airs on FX.

Set in 1814, Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney, a man who has been to the ends of the earth and comes back irrevocably changed. Believed to be long dead, he returns home to London from Africa to inherit what is left of his father's shipping empire and rebuild a life for himself. But his father's legacy is a poisoned chalice, and with enemies lurking in every dark corner, James must navigate increasingly complex territories to avoid his own death sentence. Encircled by conspiracy, murder and betrayal, a dark family mystery unfolds in a combustible tale of love and treachery.

Taboo is created by Steven Knight with Tom Hardy and Chips Hardy, who is also the show's consulting producer. Executive producers are Ridley Scott and Kate Crowe for Scott Free, Tom Hardy and Dean Baker for Hardy Son & Baker, and Steven Knight, with Timothy Bricknell producing. Taboo is directed by Kristoffer Nyholm (Eps. 1-4) and Anders Engström (Eps. 5-8), and reunites Hardy and Knight for their third collaboration following Locke and Peaky Blinders.

Videos:

• Official trailer
• BBC One trailer for the series
• Sneak peek clip from the premiere
• Deserving
• Mad teaser
• Unnatural
• Revenge
• Mask
• Foolish Things
• Little Man
• Dear James
• Evil
• The Prestige

Cast:

Main cast:
• Tom Hardy as James Delaney
• Oona Chaplin as Zilpha Geary
• David Hayman as Brace
• Michael Kelly as Dr. Dumbarton
• Jonathan Pryce as Stuart Strange
Recurring cast
• Jessie Buckley as Lorna Bow
• Jefferson Hall as Thorne Geary
• Ed Hogg as Godfrey
• Leo Bill as Wilton
• Christopher Fairbank as Ibbotson
• Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Appleby
• Richard Dixon as Pettifer
• Jason Watkins as Solomon Coop
• Nicholas Woodeson as Thoyt
• Franka Potente as Helga
• Danny Ligairi as Martinez
• Stephen Graham as Atticus
• Tom Hollander as Cholmondeley​

Articles and Interviews:

- Esquire profile on Tom Hardy has a bit on Taboo

What I can tell you is that Taboo is seedy, gritty, knotty and complex. There are twists and subversions — even perversions — of character tropes that make most period dramas look like an episode of Peppa Pig. It was conceived in some ways, says Hardy, to be an "anti-Downton", and despite having lush production values that make London, where it is mostly set, look dank and grubby and decadent and sumptuous all at the same time, and boasting a cast of period drama stalwarts including Jonathan Pryce and Tom Hollander, Taboo goes to places that other shows of that genre don't. Let's just say, the title of the show is no accident.

Hardy had the idea for the show when he was playing Bill Sikes in a 2007 BBC adaptation of Oliver Twist, and conceived the character originally as "a Sherlock Holmes-type detective, a bit more physical as well as smart, but who has that hyper-vigilance; a spiritual, hybrid shaman-cum-cannibal-serial-killer-type thing". He spent the next nine years going through many different iterations of the idea trying to get it made; and now he has. As Dean Baker puts it, who lets me into the edit suite before Hardy arrives: "It's very much Tom's baby."

- Digital Spy: Tom Hardy interview - on making Taboo the electrifying antidote to Downton: "People might not like this"

The end result is quite unlike any other period drama you'll have seen before. Taboo is every bit as unflinching and unhinged as its protagonist - and Tom is happy to accept that this graphic and earthy thriller might not appeal to the Downton crowd.

"But it's the period drama that I desire to watch," he says. "People might not like this - so accept that, and push that. People will either like it or hate it, but it won't be middle of the road. Either it's going to go well, or it's going to go really f**king badly. But it was an effort made in the right pursuit, I believe."

Reviews:

Coming Soon​

 

[golem]

Looks really good, cant wait for the premiere!

 

[Tugatrix]

this show is giving a big hype, so many talented people associated to this project I think this is a must see

 

[LQX]

Saw the commercials for this and was sort of surprised Hardy would do TV at this point in his career They must have paid him a ton.

 

[EnlightenedMint]

Hell of a cast with an interesting premise, looking forward to it.

 

[Tugatrix]

Saw the commercials for this and was sort of surprised Hardy would do TV at this point in his career They must have paid him a ton.

he never left tv, he always kept a foot on. past year he was involved in peaky blinders, doing a superb role.

 

[FinaruDensetsu]

What does "a spiritual, hybrid shaman-cum-cannibal-serial-killer-type thing" mean?

Is this like a British term or something?

 

[Rumblebones]

Damn excited for this.

 

[Robot Pants]

Saw the commercials for this and was sort of surprised Hardy would do TV at this point in his career They must have paid him a ton.

I was surprised too

 

[Slayven]

What does "a spiritual, hybrid shaman-cum-cannibal-serial-killer-type thing" mean?

Is this like a British term or something?

The commercials make it look fantasy like. No sure if that is the case

 

[~Kinggi~]

Damn, this could be great.

 

[Qvoth]

oh shit this is by the creator of peaky blinders?
hype went up by a million times!

 

[kevin1025]

Wow, out of nowhere. It had been listed as 2017 for so long, and now it's next week! Can't wait.

 

[dvdjamm]

he never left tv, he always kept a foot on. past year he was involved in peaky blinders, doing a superb role.

The Take is worth watching as well

 

[il Diavolo]

in for hardy

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

he never left tv, he always kept a foot on. past year he was involved in peaky blinders, doing a superb role.

Best character in Peaky Blinders

 

[kevin1025]

Best character in Peaky Blinders

Was he in the third season? I never got to watch it yet.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Was he in the third season? I never got to watch it yet.

Yes, it is hilarious

 

[kevin1025]

Yes, it is hilarious

Awesome, that's good news!

 

[Kayhan]

Will check out unless the word is horrible.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Very much looking forward to this. Hope it's good! (and hope FX doesn't censor it too much)

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

So Taboo, like some freaky shit?

 

[Blader]

What does "a spiritual, hybrid shaman-cum-cannibal-serial-killer-type thing" mean?

Is this like a British term or something?

Latin for "with." So, a "shaman with a cannibal-serial-killer-type thing" going on.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Edit-cancel

 

[AngmarsKing701]

Added it to my DVR list.

 

[TheCochese]

I thought for sure from the promos this was set in New Orleans.

 

[Cornballer]

Latin for "with." So, a "shaman with a cannibal-serial-killer-type thing" going on.

Right. Hardy's trying to channel a number of different influences here and he talks about it in this interview.

Along with his father, Edward 'Chips' Hardy, Oscar nominee Tom conceived of a character - originally known as 'Osborne' - who has been to the ends of the earth and comes back irrevocably changed.

"It came about from doing [BBC One's 2007 miniseries] Oliver Twist and playing Bill Sykes," Tom tells us. "To be bluntly honest, I wanted to play Bill Sykes, Sherlock Holmes, Hannibal Lecter, Heathcliff, Marlow [from Heart of Darkness]... just every classical character in one."

More influences poured into the Hardys' original conception: including Roland Joffé's 1986 film The Mission - and, in creating Osborne (later James Keziah Delaney), the early cinematic performances of Oliver Reed and Richard Burton.

 

[ubique]

So Taboo, like some freaky shit?

From the sick mind of Edward "Chips" Hardy

 

[Cornballer]

- The Guardian: From Peaky Blinders to Taboo, how TV’s history man is shaking up period drama

For all Taboo’s boundary-pushing (the show is definitely more Deadwood than Downton Abbey), Knight is clear that he doesn’t dislike straightforward historical dramas; indeed, his script for 2007’s Amazing Grace, about William Wilberforce and the abolitionist movement, was a more conventional affair, while the recent second world war drama Allied, starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, deliberately harks back to the romantic epics of the 1940s and 50s.

“There’s nothing wrong with the classic ways of adapting stuff,” he says. “It’s absolutely fine. But I don’t think that just because most people do it one way doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try another. Taboo certainly isn’t a commentary on other types of period drama. It’s just a different way of tackling one.”

Yet it is also the case that Knight is beginning to build quite a reputation as a creator of alternative period dramas. Peaky Blinders had Nick Cave and PJ Harvey on the soundtrack and gave a bunch of small-time crooks from 1920s Birmingham a mythic outlaw sheen. Taboo is equally full-blooded, thrusting the audience straight into a grimy Georgian London where anything and anyone is for sale.

“I think audiences like to see characters that they can identify with presented with a different set of rules, which they certainly [have] with Taboo because of the period in which it’s set,” Knight explains. “It’s not familiar and there’s a simmering tension, yet there are some recognisable aspects. It’s like playing a computer game in a wild west setting – you play the game and it’s the same game you’ve always played but the setting is different so what does that mean for how you play?”

More via the link.

 

[Qvoth]

will be in hongkong when the 1st episode airs, shame :/

 

[Cornballer]

Just a reminder that there's a sneak peek clip from the premiere via BBC1/Polygon in case anyone wants a quick taste.

 

[obin_gam]

You had me at Tom Hardy.

 

[Ydelnae]

Very much looking forward to this. Hope it's good! (and hope FX doesn't censor it too much)

I think Hardy said in his Chatty Man interview that for starters, they won't show genitalia and gore violence since the show is also being aired on FX simultaneously.

They also discussed the supernatural element of the show. I'm curious as to how much spooky it gets without going too crazy.

 

[Beefy]

Looking forward to this. But find it weird how the BBC seem to want to advertise this as a period drama. When it seems it isn't.

 

[giancarlo123x]

Oh yes

 

[tearsintherain]

Its too bad that the show isn't airing the same day in UK and USA, I think that'll hurt numbers a little bit.

Looking forward to this show, with Black Sails finishing its final season this year I need more action shows set 150+ years in the past. This very much looks like a mix up of Black Sails and Count of Monte Cristo, hope it holds up well.

I also really need to see Peaky Blinders asap.

 

[IronRinn]

Really looking forward to this. 10th can't get here soon enough.

 

[Tugatrix]

I wonder is this gonna get release on netflix weekly? I was surprise to see this week Sherlock being release weekly, so I wonder if this could happen with taboo

 

[sammex]

I'm in.

 

[Indelible]

Definitely in for this, love the time period and Tom Hardy usually delivers.

 

[obin_gam]

Definitely in for this, love the time period and Tom Hardy usually delivers.

Implying he hasn't somewhere?

 

[Cornballer]

- Inverse on Taboo and a few other upcoming period pieces

Tom Hardy prowls around like a combination of a 19th century Bane and Eva Green’s character from Penny Dreadful. He comes cloaked in an aura of mystery — quite literally, as he first appears hooded like a grim reaper. His fellow characters constantly refer to him as “mad” or “savage,” and he shouts at ghostly apparitions. And that’s just the first ten minutes. This miniseries is exactly as delightfully bonkers as you’d hope.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I think Hardy said in his Chatty Man interview that for starters, they won't show genitalia and gore violence since the show is also being aired on FX simultaneously.

Implying that if not for FX, there would be genitalia and gore violence?! Pfft

 

[Cornballer]

- Blurb from Salt Lake City weekly:

Dark, violent and sexy, Taboo should at least tide you over until the return of FX's Baskets.

- Onion A|V Club snippet: (full review pending)

Much of the show will rest on Hardy’s broad shoulders, and the terse and brooding star of Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant is a natural fit for FX’s brutal style of dramas. Early glimpses of the show support that while the exact nature of Delaney’s war remains vague, the imagery is full of the same arcane horror and brutality that’s distinguished various incarnations of American Horror Story, and there’s some promising appearances by Michael Kelly and Jonathan Pryce as oily antagonists to Hardy’s subdued menace. If the story is solid enough, Taboo could be the gripping and violent period drama FX audiences had hoped to get out of The Bastard Executioner.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I haven't watched much television lately, but I'm quite excited by this.

 

[Lyonaz]

Taboo's trailer was the best thing of Sherlock's 4th season premiere last sunday.

 

[LiQuid!]

First time in a long time that seeing a commercial for an upcoming TV show made me interested in watching said TV show. I hope this delivers. Looks like quite a production, at any rate.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Promos for this were pretty masterful. They really got me interested in seeing the show, but from all the ones they had (and they had so many) I don't feel like I have any idea what the actual plot is. Like, even the little stuff from descriptions here are totally news to me lol.

 

[Cornballer]

- THR review from Tim Goodman:

Despite coming out of the gates slower than is ideal in a crowded landscape, the series shows signs in the early going of blossoming into something much bigger and better.

Before committing, however, you should be all in on Hardy. If not, look elsewhere, because this is absolutely his show; the camera almost never strays from him.