Tom Hardy’s dark period epic Taboo has been given the go ahead for a second installment. Season two of the FX and BBC drama, created by Hardy, Steven Knight, and Chips Hardy, will consist of eight hour long episodes.
Set in 1817 London, Taboo’s first series revolves around James Keziah Delaney (Hardy) as he returns to London from Africa following the death of his father. As the War of 1812 draws to a close, Delaney finds himself at odds with a trading empire and chipping away at a layer of conspiracy that will land him in hot water while drawing back the curtain on a truly twisted time in history.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, co-creator and executive producer Knight expressed his delight at working on a program as edgy as its title implies while shedding some light on what to expect in the second series. “I’m thrilled that a work which pushes boundaries has been so well received and found such a large and enthusiastic audience in the U.S. and Britain. We have tried to take an impressionistic, rather than figurative, approach to a narrative which we hope more accurately portrays the spirit of an extraordinary time in history. James Delaney will continue to explore many realities as he takes his band of misfits to a new world, thanks to FX and the BBC, partners who could not be more suited to collaborating in ground breaking work.”
Ground breaking is probably the right term. Taboo makes no secret of decrying monopolization and other issues. Perhaps it is that message, or Hardy’s unmatched presence on camera, that has made the show such a hit. Young viewers appear to be absolutely taken with it, and it has performed particularly well on BBC’s iPlayer service. The numbers, in additions to the program’s layers of intrigue, made the second installment a near certainty for network approval. The names attached certainly didn’t harm matters either.
Take executive producer Ridley Scott for example, whose directorial work on the big screen speaks for itself. He has taken to the project with open arms, along with his company Scott Free Productions which aims to promote “UK-originated theatrical features and high-end television drama.” Scott told the Hollywood Reporter, “We’re thrilled people want to know what happens next and that the BBC and FX are up for more adventures with the devil Delaney and the league of the damned. Along with our international distributors, Sonar Entertainment, the BBC and FX have been great partners, supporting Taboo at every stage so it could be the dark, dirty brute of a drama that it is.”
Hardy was similarly exuberant, but not in as many words. “We are grateful and excited to continue our relationship with the BBC and FX in contributing towards British drama. Fantastic news.”
Stay tuned for more information regarding FX and the BBC’s Taboo.