Taboo (2017 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Taboo |
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| Composer(s) | Max Richter |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
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| Cinematography | Mark Patten |
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| Running time | 58–61 minutes |
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| Original release | 7 January – 25 February 2017 |
Taboo is a BBC television drama series produced by Scott Free London and Hardy Son & Baker. It premiered on BBC One in the United Kingdom, on 7 January 2017 and on FX in the United States, on 10 January 2017. The eight-episode series was created by Steven Knight, Tom Hardy, and his father, Chips Hardy, based on a story written by Tom and Chips Hardy.
In 1814, adventurer and businessman James Delaney (Tom Hardy) returns to England having spent twelve years in Africa, following the death of his father and the approaching end of Great Britain's war with the United States. Taboo explores the dark side of 19th-century London, its political and business corruption involving the East India Company, criminal gangs, the misery of the working class, and the increase in wealth of the rich.
Kristoffer Nyholm and Anders Engström each directed four episodes of the first series (season). Max Richter composed the score.
The series has received generally favourable reviews, with critics praising Hardy's performance, visual presentation, and pacing.
Contents
Cast
Main
- Tom Hardy as James Keziah Delaney, Horace Delaney's son
- Leo Bill as Benjamin Wilton, a records officer with the East India Company
- Jessie Buckley as Lorna Delaney (née Bow), Horace's widow
- Oona Chaplin as Zilpha Geary (née Delaney), James Delaney's half-sister
- Stephen Graham as Atticus, an underworld informant to Delaney
- Jefferson Hall as Thorne Geary, Zilpha's husband and an insurance broker
- David Hayman as Brace, Horace Delaney's loyal servant
- Edward Hogg as Michael Godfrey, minute taker with the East India Company
- Franka Potente as Helga von Hinten
- Michael Kelly as Edgar Dumbarton, an American physician at St Bartholomew's Hospital and spy
- Tom Hollander as George Cholmondeley, a chemist and scientist
- Marina Hands as Countess Musgrove/Carlsbad, an American spymaster in London
- Jonathan Pryce as Sir Stuart Strange, Chairman of the East India Company
- Jason Watkins as Solomon Coop, Private Secretary to the Sovereign
- Nicholas Woodeson as Robert Thoyt, Delaney's solicitor
Recurring
- Edward Fox as Horace Delaney, the owner of a shipping company based in London
- Ruby-May Martinwood as Winter, Helga's daughter
- Scroobius Pip as French Bill, the assistant to Atticus
- Fiona Skinner as Brighton, a member of Atticus's gang.
- Mark Gatiss as Prince George, Prince Regent during the King's mental illness.
- Christopher Fairbank as Ibbotson, Delaney's tenant farmer
- Richard Dixon as Edmund Pettifer, Africa desk, East India Company
- Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Abraham Appleby, East India Company
- Danny Ligairi as Martinez, a Polynesian associate of Delaney
- Lucian Msamati as George Chichester, a Sons of Africa lawyer
- Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Robert, James Delaney's son
Production
Taboo was created by Steven Knight, Tom Hardy and his father, Edward "Chips" Hardy, and is based on a story written by Tom and Chips Hardy. Knight and Tom Hardy previously worked together in the 2013 film Locke and the TV series Peaky Blinders, which premiered in 2013. The first series was directed by Kristoffer Nyholm and Anders Engström. The music was composed by Max Richter. Steven Knight plans for two more series. Taboo was renewed for a second series in March 2017. In November 2021, Knight confirmed that six of season two's eight planned episodes had been written, and the start of filming is contingent upon Hardy's schedule. In May 2022, Knight earmarked the end of 2023 as a potential filming start date.
Broadcast
Taboo premiered on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2017, and on FX in the United States on 10 January 2017. The debut episode had 1.839 million viewers in the US, and a rating of 0.6 for the 18–49 demographic. Its Live+3 figures were 3.43 million viewers – 1.63 million adults in the category 18–49 – the time-shifted percentage increase of 101% in the demographic is a record for FX. In the US, the first season averaged per episode 1.33 million viewers and 0.4 rating in the 18–49 demographic on the episodes initial airings, but increased to 5.8 million viewers per episode after viewing figures from all platforms had been added, including on-air replays, delayed viewing and streaming.
Home media
Season 1 was released in the United States and Canada by Echo Bridge Acquisition Corp, LLC (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment) on DVD and Blu-Ray on February 6, 2018, and in Europe by StudioCanal on May 29, 2017. The US/Canada DVD set consists of two discs while the European release is a three disc set. French and German dubbed releases were released on April 13, 2017, and May 9, 2017, respectively.
