The BBC’s upcoming series Around the World in 80 Days officially finished filming in March 2021, almost exactly a year after the shoot was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It is expected the eight-part adventure series to premiere on our screens later this year. As an official statement from the broadcaster said: “The clock is ticking…” Adapted from Jules Verne’s well-known book of the same name, the series stars David Tennant.
BBC One released a first-look image of Around the World in 80 Days in September 2020 and announced that the series will air in 2021. The eight-part series, written by Life on Mars’ Ashley Pharoah among others, follows the legendary adventurer Phileas Fogg, who is attempting to travel around the world in 80 days in a bid to win a lucrative wager he entered into.
A first-look trailer was released in September 2021 and showed off a few of the travel methods (including carriage and hot-air balloon) utilised by Fogg on his international journey, along with a first look at Tennant’s co-stars and the man himself as he’s struck by some of the difficulties of his journey.
Verne’s 1872 adventure novel has received numerous adaptations over the years, from an Academy Award-winning 1956 film to a 2004 remake starring Jackie Chan, to a musical with songs by The Kinks’ Ray Davies. But Tennant, his co-stars, and the Masterpiece team are sure to bring something new. Masterpiece is, after all, an expert at adapting classics for the screen.
