Good Omens TV series: Everything you need to know

From Digital Spy

Neil Gaiman first teased an adaptation of the novel he wrote with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens, to Digital Spy way back in 2011.

"Terry Jones, of Monty Python fame, is going to be adapting Good Omens, which I think is great," he told us.

Jones, despite being a great fit for the material, wasn't able to get the adaptation past the discussion stage, and the project lay dormant – until now.

Fans rejoiced earlier this year when Gaiman announced he'd be teaming up with the BBC to bring the book to TV.

"Almost 30 years ago, Terry Pratchett and I wrote the funniest novel we could about the end of the world, populated by angels and demons, not to mention an 11-year-old Antichrist," Gaiman commented."It became many people's favourite book. Three decades later, it's going to make it to the screen. I can't think of anyone we'd rather make it with than BBC Studios, and I just wish Sir Terry were alive to see it."

Good Omens cast: who's in it?

Back in August, fans received the fairly awesome news that the miniseries would be headed up by David Tennant and Michael Sheen.

Reacting to his casting in the project, Sheen said: "I first read Good Omens as a teenager and it's been one of my favourite stories ever since.

"To be part of the team entrusted with bringing it alive on screen is a bit of a dream come true to be honest. To work alongside Neil, who I think is one of the greatest storytellers of all time, is incredibly exciting. And, just like the rest of the world, I'm a huge fan of David's so I relish trying to save it with him."

Tennant added: "Michael Sheen, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett and directed by Douglas Mackinnon, it's a dream team and a dream gig. I am very excited that I've been asked to be part of this amazing project. Bring on the Apocalypse!"

They certainly look right for the characters, as the first-glimpse image proved.

Joining David Tennant and Michael Sheen are Sam Taylor Buck, Daniel Mays and Sian Brooke. Sam Taylor Buck will be playing "the reluctant Antichrist", while Line of Duty's Daniel Mays and Sherlock's Sian Brooke will play his parents.

The all-star cast will also feature Josie Lawrence as the witch Agnes Nutter (a part Lawrence also played in an early BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Good Omens), Adria Arjona as Agnes's last descendant Anathema Device, Michael McKean as Witchfinder Sergeant Shadwell, and Jack Whitehall as Newton Pulsifer, who teams up with Anathema to help stop the end of the world...

*deep breath* Then there's Miranda Richardson as part-time medium and courtesan Madame Tracy, Reece Shearsmith as William Shakespeare, Nina Sosanya as satanic nun Sister Loquacious, Ned Dennehy as Hastur, Duke of Hell, Ariyon Bakare as Ligur, likewise Duke of Hell and Nicholas Parsons as the voice of God.

Jon Hamm (who else?) will play the archangel Gabriel, while Derek Jacobi (again - who else?) will provide the voice of God / Metatron.

Anna Maxwell Martin will delight as the devilish Beelzebub, alongside Lourdes Faberes, Yusuf Gatewood and Mireille Enos as three of her four horsemen: Pollution, Famine and War, respectively.

Nick Offerman - actual Ron Swanson - is playing the US Ambassador whose child Warlock is mistakenly believed to be the Antichrist, with David Morrissey coming aboard in the final days of shooting to play Captain Vincent, captain of the pleasure cruiser Morbilli.

And, joining their League of Gentlemen cohort Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Steve Pemberton will appear as Harmony and Glozier, a pair of book-buyers who apparently aren't the nicest of people. The roles aren't said to be huge, only appearing in a film noir-esque interlude, but were specifically written by Gaiman with the pair in mind.

Good Omens release date: when is it on?

The BBC and Amazon have announced that Good Omens will air in 2019, but haven't said when. It's about to start filming, so it could be almost any time.

Gaiman had previously estimated that it would air a year after another one of his streaming series. "That will probably [be shown] a year after American Gods [debuts in 2017]. We'll start shooting very, very early next year."

But it appears he was being optimstic, as it was later confirmed that the show would launch on Amazon Prime Video in 2019, with a BBC Two airing to follow.

Good Omens on Amazon: how is the streaming service involved?

Amazon Studios greenlit the adaptation, which will be on Prime Video worldwide in 2019 ahead of its BBC launch.

The BBC seem to be very happy with the situation. "This is a fantastic achievement that comes as we begin to grow our global customer base, and it demonstrates there is considerable appetite for BBC Studios to make programmes for other broadcasters once we launch as a commercial player," Mark Linsey, Director of BBC Studios said.

"I'm delighted that this major production is with a writer of Neil Gaiman's stature and we look forward to developing more exciting, innovative projects like this in future."

Good Omens adaptation: who's doing it?

The six-part series has been entirely written by Gaiman, who will also serve as showrunner.

Gaiman, who was originally keen to leave the project in the hands of other creatives, was convinced to get involved following a last request from Terry Pratchett that he do it.

The news was misreported as Gaiman receiving a posthumous letter, which Gaiman corrected.

"Actually, it was more of a last request while he was still alive. ('I would very much like this to happen, and I know, Neil, that you're very busy, but no-one else could ever do it with the passion that we share for the old girl. I wish I could be more involved, and I will help in any way I can', he wrote, once I said yes.)"

The final product will include a touching tribute to Pratchett, with Aziraphale's bookshop featuring a pile of Pratchett's most iconic novels, alongside his trademark hat.

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