And Then There Were None: viewers hail Aidan Turner as top choice for next James Bond
The people have spoken, and the race for Daniel Craig's replacement has just landed a serious contender.
BBC One's taut, atmospheric take on Agatha Christie's classic And Then Were None has received widespread praise from both critics and fans. It's a classy joint all-round, but it was Aidan Turner's role as the shady mercenary Philip Lombard that really got viewers excited.
Lombard's a morally complex, impeccably suited-and-booted kind of guy; so it's unsurprising thoughts started to stray to one iconic role looking for a new recruit. 007. James Bond. The role Daniel Craig has shown an absolute reluctance to return to following this year's Spectre; with the rumour mill naturally spinning out of control as every British actor of a certain age gets thrust into the spotlight for a brief interrogation.
Yet, Turner's brief flirtation with rogueish, stylish brutes has likely catapulted him towards the front-running for the role, when past suggestions seemed to place him as an outsider to major combatants Idris Elba and Damien Lewis. William Hill currently pits him as having a 12/1 chance of nabbing the part; though those odds may improve further if viewers of the BBC drama have any say.
It certainly doesn't hurt that Christie's original novel was given a little, sexed-up edge to it; courtesy of Turner himself pulling a Poldark and stripping half-naked, down to a towel, on the show. And, surprisingly, the internet lost its actual mind over it.
All episodes of And Then There Were None are now available on iPlayer.
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