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Benedict Cumberbatch has played numerous famous literary characters throughout the years, the most prominent being Sherlock Holmes in the BBC TV series of the same name .
The Doctor Strange actor is now set to executive produce and star in Melrose , a five-part series based on the semi-autobiographical novels by Edward St. Aubyn, one of Cumberbatch’s own fictional heroes.
As expected, the Hollywood star will play the titular character Patrick Melrose, who previously appeared in five novels: Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope, Mother's Milk, and At Last. Together, they form The Patrick Melrose Novels , first published as a collection in 2012.
Back in 2013, during an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit, Cumberbatch revealed how - if he could play any fictional character - he would love to play Melrose.
According to Mashable Far From the Madding Crowd . Each one-hour episode will be dedicated to one of the aforementioned five novels. Showtime and Sky Atlantic will produce.
Show all 27 1 /27The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Game of Thrones season 7 Creator: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Cast: Lena Headey, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke
Plot: With the HBO fantasy series gearing up to a close, this penultimate season will pick up where the last left off; with Cersei in power and the Mother of Dragons en route to Westeros.
Premiere date: June 2017, Sky Atlantic
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Taboo Creator: Steven Knight, Tom Hardy, Chips Hardy
Cast: Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Jonathan Pryce, Michael Kelly
Plot: Set in 1814, the drama follows James Delaney, an adventurer who uncovers a dark family conspiracy upon returning home from Africa with the aim of avenging his father's death.
Premiere date: 7 January, BBC One
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The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Creator: Lemony Snicket, Mark Hudis
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Malina Weissman
Plot: This adaptation of Daniel Handler's best-selling children's novels follows a trio of Baudelaire orphans as they find themselves perpetually hounded by the mysterious and sinister Count Olaf, hell-bent on landing the orphans' inherited fortune.
Premiere date: 13 January, Netflix
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Homeland season 6 Creator: Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa
Cast: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend, F Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Marvel
Plot: Carrie and Saul are back, this time in New York, attempting to foil conspiracies in the run-up to the inauguration of president-elect Elizabeth Keane.
Premiere date: 23 January, Channel 4
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Fortitude season 2 Creator: Simon Donald
Cast: Richard Dormer, Sofie Gråbøl, Dennis Quaid, Michelle Fairley, Parminder Nagra
Plot: The quiet, isolated community is rocked by a terrifying new threat as the Antarctica noir drama returns
Premiere date: 27 January, Sky Atlantic
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Legion Creator: Noah Hawley
Cast: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Jean Smart, Aubrey Plaza
Plot: This X-Men spinoff focuses on David Haller, a mutant diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age.
Premiere date: 9 February, FOX
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 The Walking Dead season 7B/8 Creator: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman
Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Norman Reedus, Khary Payton, Lauren Cohan, Melissa McBride, Lennie James
Plot: Following on from the fateful events seen in the chaotic midseason finale, Rick begins to recruit an army in his war against Negan and the Saviours.
Premiere date: 13 February, FOX
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 24: Legacy Creator: Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran, Manny Coto, Evan Katz
Cast: Corey Hawkins, Miranda Otto, Jimmy Smits, Teddy Sears
Plot: This spin-off replaces Jack Bauer with war hero Eric Carter who enlists the aid of CTU with preventing one of the largest terrorist attacks on US soil.
Premiere date: 15 February, FOX
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Billions season 2 Creator: Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Andrew Ross Sorkin
Cast: Damian Lewis, Paul Giamatti, Maggie Siff, Malin Åkerman
Plot: District Attorney Chuck Rhoades Jr returns as he continues with his attempts to prove hedge fund manager Bobby 'Axe' Axelrod is corrupt.
Premiere date: February TBC, Sky Atlantic
JoJo Whilden/SHOWTIME
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Girls season 6 Creator: Lena Dunham
Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver
Plot: The final season of the drama will see Hannah and friends attempt to put things right with their troubled lives.
Premiere date: February TBC, Sky Atlantic
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Iron Fist Creator: Scott Buck
Cast: Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, David Wenham, Jessica Stroup, Tom Pelphrey, Rosario Dawson
Plot: Marvel's latest Netflix show following Danny Rand, a martial arts expert with the ability to call upon the power of the Iron Fist.
Premiere date: 17 March, Netflix
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Broadchurch season 3 Creator: Chris Chibnall
Cast: Olivia Colman, David Tennant
Plot: Not much is known about the ITV mystery drama's swansong save for the fact Detectives Miller and Hardy will reunite to work on a sexual assault case.
Premiere date: Spring 2017, ITV1
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Sherlock season 4 Creator: Steven Moffatt, Mark Gatiss
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Toby Jones, Sacha Dhawan
Plot: Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are back for three more episodes of the Beeb's beloved series that'll replace Moriarty with a new villain played by Toby Jones.
Premiere date: 1 January, BBC One
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 I Love Dick Creator: Jil Soloway
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Hahn, Griffin Dunne
Plot: The Transparent creator's new show centres on a married couple whose relationship is put to the test when they both fall for the same professor.
Premiere date: Summer 2017, Amazon Prime
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Twin Peaks season 3 Creator: Mark Frost, David Lynch
Cast: Everyone
Plot: The majority of the original cast plus a host of new faces are returning for one of the most anticipated TV revivals of all time.
Premiere date: 2O17 TBC, Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Riviera Creator: Neil Jordan
Cast: Julia Stiles, Monica Bellucci, Lena Olin, Iwan Rheon, Amr Waked
Plot: The widow of a billionaire is shocked to discover that the fortune that maintained his immaculate, ever-so-tasteful lifestyle is tainted with dishonesty, double-dealing, crime, and ultimately murder.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Catastrophe season 3 Creator: Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan
Cast: Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan, Ashley Jensen, Carrie Fisher, Mark Bonnar
Plot: Sharon and Rob return as the two wayward souls thrown together after a brief affair. Carrie Fisher will posthumously appear as Rob's mother in one of the actor's final screen roles.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Channel 4
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Tin Star Creator: Rowan Joffe
Cast: Christina Hendricks, Tim Roth
Plot: This ten-part thriller, set in the Canadian Rockies, sees an expat British police officer take a stand against an oil company fronted by the mysterious Mrs Bradshaw leading to unprecedented bloodshed.
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Britannia Creator: Jez Butterworth
Cast: Kelly Reilly, David Morrissey, Zoë Wanamaker, Stanley Weber
Plot: The first co-production between Sky and Amazon is ten-part Roman revenge drama set in 43AD.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Sky Atlantic
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 The Defenders Creator: Douglas Petrie, Marco Ramirez
Cast: Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Élodie Yung ,Sigourney Weaver
Plot: This mashup will see the lead characters of Netflix's four Marvel shows - Daredevil , Jessica Jones , Luke Cage and Iron Fist - unite in a bid to overcome forces in New York City.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Netflix
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Stranger Things season 2 Creator: The Duffer Brothers
Cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown
Plot: The fate of Eleven is resolved as we return to Hawkins fo0r mote otherworldly shenanigans that'll undoubtedly involve the Upside-Down.
Premiere date: Late 2017, Netflix
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 The Punisher Creator: Steve Lightfoot
Cast: Jon Bernthal, Ben Barnes, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Amber Rose Revah, Deborah Ann Woll
Plot: Daredevil character Frank Castle returns as the vigilante who uses lethal methods to fight crime.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Netflix
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 The Leftovers season 3 Creator: Damon Lindelof
Cast: Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston, Amy Brenneman, Margaret Qualley, Chris Zylka, Liv Tyler, Regina King, Kevin Carroll
Plot: The sorely underrated drama, focusing on the aftermath of a world which saw 2% of the world's population disappear, returns for a final time with the action relocated to Australia. Can Kevin Garvey find enlightenment following the climactic events of season two?
Premiere date: April TBC, Sky Atlantic
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 American Gods Creator: Bryan Fuller, Michael Green
Cast: Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning
Plot: This long-awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel focuses on Shadow Moon, who accepts a job offer from a strager who turns out to be the Norse god Odin.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Amazon Prime
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Fargo season 3 Creator: Noah Hawley
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, David Thewlis, Michael Stuhlbarg, Scoot McNairy
Plot: The Coen Brothers spin-off returns, this time following brothers Emit and Ray Stussy who get caught up in a tangle of corruption and deceit.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Channel 4
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 Curb Your Enthusiasm season 9 Creator: Larry David
Cast: Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, JB Smoove, Cheryl Hines, Ted Danson, Mary Steenbergen
Plot: Earlier this year, Larry David announced the return of his acclaimed HBO comedy series to the relief of fans the world over. There's no current release date but rest assured knowing David is currently somewhere in the world getting himself into awkward trouble for your viewing pleasure.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Sky Atlantic
Charles Fern
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017 House of Cards season 5 Creator: Beau Willimon
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Joel Kinnaman, Molly Parker
Plot:<.b> There's no current airdate for Kevin and Claire Underwood's fifth outing but, going by the closing moments of season four (war's been waged and the First Lady has the upper hand over her husband), things will be more fraught than ever.
Premiere date: Spring TBC, Netflix
Alongside Melrose, Cumberbatch will star in numerous upcoming projects, including playing Doctor Strange in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War , voicing Shere Khan in Andy Serkis’s Jungle Book , voicing the Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! , and play Thomas Edison in the biographical historical film The Current War . Phew.
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