Flying a little under the radar right now—presumably because it’s a U.K.-only show, at least at the moment—is a new upcoming series called “The Listeners.” It’s intriguing on its own, but the talent involved makes it even more enticing. A provocative, haunting drama starring Rebecca Hall (“Christine,” “The Town,” “Vicky Christina Barcelona”), “The Listeners” is produced by Fremantle company Element Pictures (“Normal People,” “The Favourite,” “Poor Things”) and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Janicza Bravo, known for directing “Zola” and episodes of “Poker Face,” and “Mrs. America.”
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Based on the novel by Jordan Tannahill, who also wrote the adaptation, the series centers around Claire (Rebecca Hall), a popular English teacher who begins to hear a low humming sound that no one else around her can hear. Is this mysterious hum a gift for the chosen few—or the soundtrack to a living nightmare?
Here’s the official synopsis:
The Listeners centers around Claire (Rebecca Hall), a popular English teacher, who begins to hear a low humming sound that no one else around her can hear. This seemingly innocuous noise gradually upsets the balance of her life, increasing tension between herself and her husband, Paul (Prasanna Puwanarajah), and daughter, Ashley (Mia Tharia). But despite multiple doctors, no obvious source or medical cause can be found. When she discovers that a student of hers, Kyle (Ollie West), can also hear the sound, the two strike up an unlikely and intimate friendship. Finding themselves increasingly isolated from their families, friends, and colleagues, they fall in with a disparate group of neighbors, led by a charismatic couple, Jo (Gayle Rankin) and Omar (Amr Waked), who also claim they can hear what they call “The Hum – and who believe it could be a gift, heard only by a “chosen few.” Enigmatic, provocative, and haunting, The Listeners explores the seduction of the wild and unknowable, the human search for the transcendent, the rise of conspiracy culture in the West, and the desire for community and connection in our increasingly polarized times.
Also starring in the series, which was filmed in Greater Manchester, are Ollie West (“Hamnet”), Prasanna Puwanarajah (“The Crown,” “Patrick Melrose”), Amr Waked (“Ramy”), Gayle Rankin (“Men,” “Perry Mason”), Mia Tharia (“Phoenix Rise”), Franc Ashman (The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself, Inside Man), Samuel Edward Cook (“Peaky Blinders”), Karen Henthorn (“Coronation Street”), Lucy Sheen (“Ping Pong”) and Ian Mercer (“ All Creatures Great And Small”).
Can you hear it? “The Listeners” premieres on Tuesday, November 19, on BBC iPlayer. Hopefully, it will come to the U.S. soon.
