THE SENTINELS: BBC ACQUIRES FRENCH WARTIME SCI-FI DRAMA

The BBC has acquired The Sentinels, an eight-part French drama from STUDIOCANAL for BBC iPlayer and BBC Four. The wartime sci-fi series fusing action and espionage was created by Guillaume Lemans, in collaboration with Xabi Molia. It is based on the graphic novels Les Sentinelles by Xavier Dorison and Enrique Breccia.

At the outbreak of World War I, Gabriel Ferraud - a gravely wounded soldier - is recruited into a top-secret French military program designed to create the ultimate weapon: enhanced humans. After being injected with a mysterious serum, Gabriel gains extraordinary strength, speed, and resilience.

He joins an elite unit known as the Sentinels - augmented soldiers forged for the front lines. But as the war intensifies, Gabriel uncovers a terrifying truth that could alter the fate of the conflict.

Directed by Thierry Poiraud and Édouard Salier, The Sentinels is written by Guillaume Lemans, Xabi Molia and Raphaëlle Richet. The cast includes Louis Peres as soldier Gabriel Ferraud, alongside Thibaut Evrard, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Carl Malapa, Olivia Ross, Ouassini Embarek and more.

Nick Lee, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “The Sentinels is a fully immersive war drama, drenched in adrenaline. The graphic novel origins has been cleverly adapted into a premium television experience by CANAL+ and BBC audiences will revel in the blend of steam punk meets robo-cop. There’s also a Frankenstein-ian level of depth and empathy to this story that really grips. Prepare for something totally different and unforgivingly entertaining.”

The Sentinels (8 x 52’) is produced by Lionel Uzan and Thierry Sorel for Federation Studio France, and Delphine Clot and Guillaume Lemans for Esprits Frappeurs. It is a CANAL+ Original Creation, international distribution is handled by STUDIOCANAL.