Deadline reports that eight-part French science fiction drama The Sentinels from French studio Studiocanal has been picked up by the BBC with a planned launch for late 2026. The series was originally created for Canal+, but is internationally held by Studiocanal.
Based on Enrique Breccia and Xavier Dorison’s (The Tiger Brigades, Paris Police 1905) graphic novels Les Sentinelles, the war drama brings an alternative perspective on World War I with a touch of otherworldly science.
From Deadline, the synopsis of the series is as follows:
“At the outbreak of World War I, Gabriel Ferraud (Louis Peres; How I Became a Super Hero, Mental) – a gravely wounded soldier – is recruited into a top-secret French military program designed to create the ultimate weapon: enhanced humans. 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.”
Alongside Peres as Ferraud, series cast members as listed by Deadline include; Ouassini Embarek (The Good Thief, Athena), Thibaut Evrard (The Transporter Refueled, Borgia), Carl Malapa (Prague, Paris, 13th District), Kacey Mottet-Klein (Sister, Home), and Olivia Ross (War & Peace, The Old Guard).
The Sentinels comes from Espirits Frappeurs and Federation Studio France, reports Deadline, with Guillame Lemas (The Next Three Days, The Night Eats the World) and Delphine Clot (Son of Rambow, I’m Not There) producing for Espirits and Thierry Sorel (Deadly Tropics, H24) and Lionel Uzan (The Tall Man, The Squad) producing for Federation. Édouard Salier (Habana, Tropic) and Thierry Poiraud (Black Spot, Don’t Grow Up) are the series directors.
In 2025, per Deadline, the show launched with a simultaneous release on Canal+ as the group’s first multicontinental launch across over 30 countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. The series has also aired in Australia (SBS), Belgium (BeTV), Benelux (BeTV & Play Media), Canada (TV5), Denmark (DR), Germany (ProSieben), Greece (NOVA), Portugal (NOS), Spain (Disney), and Turkey (Tivibu).
As stated prior, in the UK, The Sentinels will launch from BBC on iPlayer and BBC Four later this year.