BBC’s adrenaline-fuelled drama The Sentinels promises to be ‘unforgivingly entertaining’

The BBC has acquired the gripping French wartime drama, The Sentinels, based on the graphic novels Les Sentinelles by Xavier Dorison and Enrique Breccia.

The eight-part series, which first aired in France in September last year and comes from  CANAL+ (Django), is created by French screenwriter and film producer, Guillaume Lemans, in collaboration with Xabi Molia. 

A blend of sci-fi, action and espionage thriller, the series has been described as a “fully immersive war drama, drenched in adrenaline”. Intrigued? Find out more below…

What is The Sentinels about? 

The series, directed by Thierry Poiraud and Édouard Salier, begins 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. 

The synopsis continues: “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.”

Who stars in the show? 

Louis Peres leads the cast as soldier Gabriel Ferraud, alongside Thibaut Evrard, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Carl Malapa, Olivia Ross, Ouassini Embarek and more.

© Abaca Press / Alamy Stock Photo

What to expect from The Sentinels

Nick Lee, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, described the drama as a “blend of steampunk meets robocop.” He continued: “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.”

When will The Sentinels air on the BBC? 

While a release date has yet to be announced, it’s likely that the show will arrive on BBC iPlayer and BBC Four later this year. 

More war dramas on BBC iPlayer to watch while you wait

• War and Peace –  Adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s classic 1869 novel, the series follows the lives of three young Russian aristocrats – Pierre Bezukhov (Paul Dano), Prince Andrei Bolkonsky (James Norton) and Natasha Rostova (Lily James) – as they experience love and loss during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.

• The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Adapted from Richard Flanagan’s critically acclaimed novel, this agonising and captivating series spans half a century, charting the life of Dorrigo Evans, through his passionate romance with Amy Mulvaney, his time held captive in a prisoner-of-war camp, and his later years working as a respected surgeon. Jacob Elordi and Ciarán Hinds star. 

© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Curio Pictures/Sony Pictures Television/

• SAS Rogue Heroes – The BBC’s exhilarating drama charts the origins of the famed Special Forces unit during World War Two. Connor Swindells, Jack O’Connell and Alfie Allen star.