Netflix Just Dropped David Tennant’s Underrated 2013 Thriller from the Spooks Creator
The Escape Artist doubles down on star power with Sophie Okonedo and Toby Kebbell in the cast.
If you just watched David Tennant charm his way through The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix and want more of him being very good at his job until it all goes horribly wrong, here you go: The Escape Artist just landed on the streamer.
What is The Escape Artist?
It is a twisty legal thriller from David Wolstencroft (yep, the Spooks creator) with Tennant playing a hot-shot barrister who has never lost a case. His specialty: extricating clients from impossible, messy situations. Then he gets a man cleared of a brutal, high-profile murder... and the fallout is ice cold. It is one of those tight, lean mini-series that starts as a courtroom flex and slides into something much darker.
Now on Netflix, with a tweak
Netflix added The Escape Artist on Saturday 20 September. Small but notable wrinkle: the original BBC run was three episodes; Netflix has it as two. No official reason was given, and yes, the streamer loves this kind of quiet re-cut. Inside baseball example: The Capture aired on BBC One with six episodes per season, but Netflix presents it as eight per season. Same story, different packaging.
The cast (stacked, frankly)
- David Tennant
- Sophie Okonedo
- Toby Kebbell
- Ashley Jensen
- Alistair Petrie
- Kate Dickie
- Monica Dolan
- Stephen Wight
- Tony Gardner
- Anton Lesser as Richard Mayfield QC
What Tennant is up to next
ITV drops The Hack this Wednesday. It is written by Jack Thorne and digs into the phone hacking scandal, so expect sharp elbows and uncomfortable truths. Tennant is also due back for the Good Omens finale at some point, though there is still no release date. And if you are wondering about another spin in the TARDIS, he has not shut that door.
"I think it would depend on what the circumstances were. I went back a couple of years ago. I did three in a row, which was an absolute joy because it was returning for a short period of time."
Where to watch
The Escape Artist is streaming on Netflix now. In the UK, subscriptions start at £5.99 a month. If you use Sky Glass or Virgin Media Stream, Netflix is there too.