Tom Hardy’s “mesmerising” period drama branded “thrilling from start to finish” is back on the BBC

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The historical drama Taboo, starring Tom Hardy, is now available to stream again on BBC iPlayer. The series, originally released in 2017, has been praised as “mesmerising” by the streaming service and has received excellent reviews from both critics and viewers, who call it a “thrilling” experience. Created by Steven Knight and Tom Hardy, along with his father Chips Hardy, Taboo is set in 19th-century London and follows James Keziah Delaney (Hardy), a man who returns home to London from Africa in 1814 after being presumed dead. The show consists of eight episodes.

After his father, Horace Delaney, passes away, James unexpectedly takes control of the family’s London shipping business – and a host of dangerous rivals. He’s determined to both challenge the powerful and dishonest East India Company and uncover the truth behind his father’s death.

The film also stars Leo Bill, Jessie Buckley, Oona Chaplin, Stephen Graham, David Hayman, Tom Hollander, Jonathan Pryce, and Mark Gatiss.

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I’m really excited to see that Taboo is getting a lot of love! It’s currently ‘Certified Fresh’ on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 76% and lots of good reviews, which is awesome.

I think what’s so amazing about Taboo is that even though you can definitely see bits of westerns, gangster movies, and even stories like those by Dickens in it, it still feels completely fresh and unique. That’s what the Daily Telegraph pointed out, and I totally agree!

According to IndieWire, the story is bold, uncompromising, and sometimes unpleasant, featuring a cast of characters Delaney is eager to take down. The way it’s told makes the suspense even more enjoyable.

In a glowing review, The Atlantic praised Hardy’s performance, noting his captivating presence can even make weak scenes engaging. They described the film as a fascinating, though often dark and brooding, descent into a disturbing world.

We also praised Taboo, calling it “completely over-the-top but captivating.” We recognized that it wouldn’t appeal to everyone – some might find it too strange, while others might overthink it. However, we hoped most viewers would enjoy it as the delightfully eccentric and surprisingly good show that it is.

I was reading an interview with the show’s creator, Knight, and he explained it really well. He said the series is basically a very human story about one person and all the fallout from his decision to fight everyone – the Americans, the British, even the East India Company and the Crown itself. It’s about the consequences of taking on the whole world, which is a pretty cool concept!

Knight explained how Hardy and his father included him in the development of the show. He said it was the first time he’d met Tom Hardy, and the initial discussion about Taboo was very open and encouraging. The core concept revolved around a character returning to England with the goal of getting revenge – that was the starting point.

We were discussing Taboo, and I was simultaneously working on Locke. During that conversation, I asked if he’d be interested in doing Locke, explaining the concept. We made an agreement: he’d do Locke if I did Taboo. I then came up with the original concept and wrote the first two scripts, eventually writing the rest of the series.

Taboo is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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2025-11-12 19:19