It is hardly a secret anymore and has been said before but television is the place to be for actors who are willing to challenge themselves. It can also lead you to global stardom. Think Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Sherlock, Downton Abbey and you’ll get the drift. For these reasons and more, it is not entirely unexpected to see Sherlock star, Benedict Cumberbatch, making his way back to the small screen with a unique role.
It is hardly a secret anymore and has been said before but television is the place to be for actors who are willing to challenge themselves. It can also lead you to global stardom. Think Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Sherlock, Downton Abbey and you’ll get the drift. For these reasons and more, it is not entirely unexpected to see Sherlock star, Benedict Cumberbatch, making his way back to the small screen with a unique role.
The drama is called A Child in Time and is an adaptation of Ian McEwan’s award-winning 1987 novel. Cumberbatch will star in it and is also playing executive producer to the 90-minute BBC one-off. Cumberbatch is playing the role of Stephen Child, a writer of children’s books whose life is “destroyed when he loses his child”.
“I read the novel years ago and it stayed with me – profound, beautiful and very moving,” Cumberbatch said about the role. “Only Ian McEwan could write about loss with such telling honesty.”
Writer Ian McEwan is also thrilled about the adaptation. Speaking on the matter recently, he stated: “I’m thrilled to have my novel in the hands of such a high level creative team. I have fond memories of Benedict playing a brilliant and key part in the movie adaptation of Atonement. Now, it’s a great honour to have this actor of such immense resource, experience and subtlety in the lead role of The Child In Time.”
Given Cumberbatch’s past performances as Doctor (Stephen) Strange, Alan Turing, Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek super-villain Khan and Julian Assange, this one should be a piece of cake. Watch out.
