Netflix Just Picked Up a Huge New Series

Bodyguard premiered on BBC One recently to the highest launch numbers for any new drama on any UK channel in a decade—and Netflix just picked it up. The "terror thriller," as Deadline describes it, is about a war veteran assigned to protect the home secretary in his role as a specialist protection officer with London's Metropolitan Police Service. It stars Game of Thrones' Richard Madden as the officer and Line of Duty's Keeley Hawes as the politician. Variety reports that it has retained large audience numbers through its first five episodes. "Bodyguard has gripped the [UK] with its twists and turns. It's a perfect example of a show produced locally [that] has huge global appeal," says the studio president. "Through our partnership with Netflix, we can't wait for audiences around the world to enjoy the show as much as audiences here in the UK." It premieres on Netflix Oct. 24. (More Netflix stories.)