Baby Reindeer creator’s Glasgow-set drama that ‘catapults viewers to the ’80s’ confirms release date

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The BBC has announced that Richard Gadd, the creator of Baby Reindeer, will be releasing his new six-part drama, Half Man, which is set in Glasgow. It will be available on BBC iPlayer in the UK starting at 6am on Friday, April 24th, and will then air on BBC One and BBC Scotland shortly after. Viewers in the US can watch it beginning Thursday, April 23rd at 9pm Eastern/Pacific time on HBO and HBO Max.

In the series, Louis Gadd and Jamie Bell will play brothers Ruben and Niall, who, though not biologically related, share an incredibly close bond.

The story follows two childhood friends with contrasting personalities – one strong and devoted, the other quiet and gentle. Brought together by loss and fate, they rely on each other completely. Thirty years later, Ruben unexpectedly appears at Niall’s wedding, and something is clearly wrong. He’s acting strangely and seems on edge. Soon, a violent event throws us into the past, revealing the story of their lives from the 1980s to the present day.

Spanning three decades, Half Man is a powerful look at the bonds between men, the cycle of violence, and how easily male relationships can shatter. It shows that when life falls apart, the deepest connections are often the first to fray.

In a recent interview with GQ, Gadd discussed his approach to creating Half Man. He explained that he wanted to examine the roots and development of unhealthy masculinity, and explore why men find such strong connection in their friendships. He also wanted to show how damaging that behavior can be.

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He explained that he wasn’t simply focused on portraying violence. Instead, he wanted to explore the reasons behind violent behavior and understand the connections between men.

Some viewers see the show as being about what it means to be a man. But I often feel it’s really a story about two men who have trouble expressing their love for each other, simply because they don’t know how.

Mitchell Robertson, known for Curfew, and Stuart Campbell, from SAS: Rogue Heroes, will play younger versions of Bell and Gadd. Neve McIntosh will portray Niall’s mother, Lori, and Marianne McIvor will play Ruben’s mother, Maura.

The cast also includes Tim Downie from Outlander, Stuart McQuarrie from The Rig, Anjli Mohindra from The Lazarus Project, and Charlie De Melo from Coronation Street.

The cast also includes Sandy Batchelor (known for SAS: Rogue Heroes), Bilal Hasna (The Agency), Julie Cullen (Traces), Amy Manson (The Nevers), along with Tom Andrews, Philippine Velge, Piers Ewart, Scot Greenan, Charlotte Blackwood, Kate Robson-Stuart, and Calum Manchip.

The new series, Half Man, will be available to stream starting Friday, April 24th at 6am in the UK on BBC iPlayer. Viewers in the US can watch it beginning Thursday, April 23rd at 9pm Eastern/Pacific time on HBO and HBO Max.

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2026-03-23 14:49