Viewers binge-watch BBC's 'wild' 8-part period drama


The "adrenaline-drenched" eight-part French war drama, The Sentinels, is climbing the BBC iPlayer most-watched chart


Man in medieval armor holds a gas mask, standing in a ruined building.© BBC / Caroline Dubois / Federation Studio France / Esprits Frappeurs / CANAL+
Nicky Morris
Nicky MorrisActing TV and Film Editor
5 hours ago
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The French war drama, The Sentinels, recently landed on BBC iPlayer – and viewers have wasted no time getting stuck into the show.

Based on the graphic novels Les Sentinelles by Xavier Dorison and Enrique Breccia, the eight-part drama follows Private Gabriel as he joins an elite unit on a mission to end WWI. 

Billed as an "adrenaline-drenched steampunk-style thriller," the series promises a blend of sci-fi, action and espionage. 

Louis Peres plays Gabriel Ferraud in The Sentinels© Caroline Dubois / Federation Studio France / Esprits Frappeurs / CANAL+
Louis Peres plays Gabriel Ferraud in The Sentinels

As the show climbs BBC iPlayer's most-watched chart, find out all you need to know below. 

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Love war dramas? Check out The Narrow Road To The Deep North

What have viewers said about The Sentinels?

Viewers have been full of praise for the series since it arrived on BBC iPlayer. 

Taking to social media, one person hailed the drama as "very dark and mysterious," while another binge-watched all eight episodes, adding: "I really enjoyed the storytelling and the atmospheric cinematography... Absolutely stunning."

Two men in military gear holding rifles in a foggy field.© BBC / Caroline Dubois / Federation Studio France / Esprits Frappeurs / CANAL+
The series promises a blend of sci-fi, action and espionage

Over on IMDb, a third viewer described it as "a wild, stylish series that surprises at every turn".

Meanwhile, the show received a positive critical response, with The Guardian handing out four stars, hailing it as "exciting, propulsive and not based on the same old threadbare franchises."

What is The Sentinels about? 

Set at the outbreak of World War I, the series follows Gabriel Ferraud, a gravely wounded soldier, who 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.

Gisèle, wearing a pearl necklace and sleeveless top, gazes intently in a dimly lit room.© BBC / Caroline Dubois / Federation Studio France / Esprits Frappeurs / CANAL+
Nastya Golubeva Carax plays Gisèle

"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 stars as soldier Gabriel Ferraud. 

He's joined by Thibaut Evrard, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Nastya Golubeva Carax, Carl Malapa, Olivia Ross, Ouassini Embarek and more.

The Sentinels is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.

More war dramas to stream on BBC iPlayer

  • War and Peace – Adapted from Leo Tolstoy's classic 1869 novel, this sweeping period drama 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.
Paul Dano, James Norton in War & Peace© Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo
Paul Dano and James Norton star in War & Peace
  • The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Starring Jacob Elordi and Ciarán Hinds, this captivating drama charts 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. 
  • Dark Hearts – Set in Iraq on the eve of the battle for Mosul in October 2016, this explosive series centres around an elite French Special Forces unit that undertakes a high-risk extraction operation.
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