UKTV’s U&DRAMA channel has picked up ‘The Count of Monte Cristo‘ limited series starring Sam Claflin (Peaky Blinders, Daisy Jones & the Six) and Jeremy Irons (The Borgias, House of Gucci) to premiere this Summer, based on Alexandre Dumas’s classic novel of the same name.
Falsely accused of treason, Edmond Dantes (Claflin), a young sailor, is imprisoned without trial in the Château d’If, a grim island fortress off Marseille. After many years of captivity, he finally escapes and assumes the identity of the wealthy and enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo. With his newfound resources, he embarks on a journey of revenge on those who have wrongly accused him.
Alongside Claflin and Irons, the series also stars Blake Ritson (The Gilded Age), Karla-Simone Spence (The Confessions of Frannie Langton), Harry Taurasi (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), Poppy Corby Tuech (The Royals), Ana Girardot (The Wages of Fear), and Gabriella Pession (Tell Me Lies).
The drama has achieved remarkable global success, premiering on Italy’s RAI-1 with an average of nearly 6 million viewers to become the highest-rating series on RAI in the past three years. The series has also secured other major international distribution agreements, including PBS/WGBH for U.S. rights and various European broadcasters, including TVE in Spain, RTS in Switzerland, and the Nordic PSB alliance (comprising SVT, NRK, DR, YLE, and RUV). Additionally, the show is set to air in Eastern European regions, including Poland through TVP, Hungary via TV2, and the Czech Republic on Ceska TV.
The epic historical adventure drama, directed by Bille August (Pelle the Conqueror, The Best Intentions), is produced by Mediawan’s Palomar and DEMD Productions for France Télévisions in France and RAI in Italy and distributed worldwide by Mediawan Rights in cooperation with CAA (for North America) and with the participation of Entourage Ventures.
‘The Count of Monte Cristo‘ will premiere in the UK on streaming service U, and the U&DRAMA channel in Summer 2025. If you want to keep track of these or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
