The Serpent: release date of BBC drama about Bikini Killer Charles Sobhraj, and who’s in the cast with Jenna Coleman?

2021’s first crime drama series, developed in partnership between the BBC and Netflix, is proving to be the the first big TV show of the New Year.

Shot on location in Thailand, and written by Ripper Street’s Richard Warlow and Toby Finlay, eight-part series The Serpent is an intoxicating story of true-crime that will have tongues wagging well into 2021.

Here is everything you need to know about it.

What is The Serpent about?

According to the BBC, The Serpent tells the “remarkable” story of how “a conman and murderer was brought to justice.”

Travelling across the Indian subcontinent in the 1970s, and taking on false identities, the murderer and his girlfriend become the chief suspects in a series of murders of Western tourists.

"As the suspects repeatedly slip from the grasp of authorities around the world, Herman Knippenberg, a junior diplomat at the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok, unwittingly walks into their intricate web of crime.

“Knippenberg sets off an extraordinary chain of events that will see Sobhraj become Interpol’s most wanted man, with arrest warrants in multiple continents.”

Is The Serpent a true story?

The Serpent is indeed inspired by real events, and the story of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj and his girlfriend Marie-Andrée Leclerc is a true one.

During the mid-1970s, Sobhraj posed as a gem dealer, travelling across Thailand, Nepal and India, carrying out a spree of crimes on the Asian ‘Hippie Trail’ – the name given to an overland journey taken by members of the hippie subculture from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s between Europe and South Asia.

The trail passed through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal, and it was here that Sobhraj preyed on young Western travellers, who were often travelling as cheaply as possible to extend their time away from home.

The series takes its name from just one of Sobhraj’s nicknames; he was also known as the Bikini Killer due to the attire of his victims.

The number of murders Sobhraj and Leclerc committed is unknown, though they are believed to have claimed the lives of more than 12 victims, impressing and befriending tourists whom they then defrauded and killed.

Who stars in it?

The central duo at the heart of the show’s crime-spree story are Tahar Rahim and Jenna Coleman, who play Charles Sobhraj and Marie-Andrée Leclerc respectively.

Rahim is perhaps best known for his starring role as in the 2009 award-winning French movie A Prophet, while Coleman will be more than familiar to British viewers, having had starring roles as Clara Oswald in Doctor Who, and Queen Victoria in ITV’s period drama, Victoria.

On joining The Serpent, Jenna Coleman said: “The Serpent intoxicated me into the dark seductive world of Charles Sobhraj. I’m so looking forward to delving into hippie trail depths and bringing to life this unfathomable real life story alongside… the wonderful cast and production team.”

Herman Knippenberg – the junior diplomat who proves central to Sobhraj’s capture – is played by Billy Howle, who has previously played Edward, Prince of Wales in Netflix’s historical epic, Outlaw/King.

Ellie Bamber plays Knippenberg’s wife Angela, and has previously had roles in The Trial of Christine Keeler and 2019’s Les Misérables miniseries.

Howle said: “When I heard about the story behind The Serpent, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. What an interesting role, in a fascinating story, with a brilliant team behind it - shooting in such a great part of the world, as well. I feel really fortunate to be a part of this project.”

Also on the cast are Alice Englert (Top of the Lake), German-Turkish actor İlker Kaleli, Tim McInnerny (Game of Thrones), and Belarusian-American actress, Dasha Nekrasova.

When can I watch it?

The first episode of The Serpent debuted on BBC One on New Year’s Day at 9pm. New episode are broadcast at 9pm on Sunday evenings.

Previous episodes are available on demand through iPlayer. Outside of the UK and Ireland, The Serpent will be available on Netflix.