In the mood for a good weep? Well, good news. World War 2 drama The Narrow Road to the Deep North is heading to the BBC this week, and it promises lashings of devastation.
As you would expect, for a show that’s all about the building of the Burma railway. Constructed by Japanese prisoners of war, it was infamous for how many people it killed – approximately 90,000 east Asian civilians and 12,000 POWs.
The trailer looks compelling (and harrowing) and it stars Jacob Elordi in the lead role, using his actual Australian accent to play the lead, Dorrigo Evans. It’s also been getting glowing reviews – if you needed another reason to tune in.
So when’s it out and how can you watch it? Here’s what to know.
What’s the plot?
Adapted from the book of the same name by Richard Flanagan, the show tells the story of Dorrigo Evans (Elordi), a successful Australian war veteran and surgeon who’s plagued by memories of his past.
We find out that he had an affair with Amy, his uncle’s wife, before being shipped out as part of the Australian Imperial Force. In the Battle of Java, his regiment is captured by the Japanese and sent to work on the Burma Railway, which the Japanese built as a way to transport supplies from Thailand to Burma (now Myanmar) to eventually invade India.
One in three men died building this, and the book goes into detail about the horrific fates that many of Dorrigo’s fellows suffer during this period – as the ‘elected’ leader of his troop, he tries to protect them against violence and disease, often unsuccessfully.
“We were all in it together, so there was this great overwhelming amount of love in the whole process,,” Elordi told the Guardian about the making of the show. “It was incredibly challenging but deeply necessary, of course … because nobody wanted to phone that in or make a mockery of it.”
The book won the 2014 Booker (and was inspired by Flanagan’s father’s own experiences as a Japanese POW) – so we have high hopes for the series.
Who’s in the cast?
The cast boasts some heavy hitters. Jacob Elordi, of course, plays the younger Dorrigo Evans – but he’s joined by Belfast actor Ciarán Hinds, who plays the older Dorrigo.
Newcomer Odessa Young plays Amy, the woman Dorrigo falls in love with, while Olivia De Jonge (best known for playing Priscilla Presley in the 2022 film Elvis) plays Ella, the woman he eventually marries. Meanwhile, Aussie actor Simon Baker rounds out the main cast as Keith, Dorrigo’s uncle by marriage.
When’s it out?
Actually pretty soon. Though the show launched worldwide on Prime Video, it’s not been available to watch in the UK. That’s about to change: the series will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from July 20, and will be airing on BBC One on 9.15pm that day.
