‘The Essex Serpent’: Apple Sets Premiere Date for Claire Danes & Tom Hiddleston Series

Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston in The Essex Serpent
Apple TV+

The highly-anticipated Apple Original series The Essex Serpent, starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston, is set to debut globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, May 13, 2022.

Based on Sarah Perry’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Essex Serpent follows London widow Cora Seaborne (Danes), who moves to neighboring Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. While there, she develops an unlikely bond with the village vicar (Hiddleston), but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature.

In addition to Danes and Hiddleston, the series stars Frank Dillane (Fear the Walking Dead) as Luke Garrett, Clémence Poésy (The Tunnel) as Stella Ransome, Hayley Squires (Adult Material) as Martha, Jamael Westman (Anne Boleyn) as Dr. George Spencer, Dixie Egerickx (Patrick Melrose) as Jo Ransome, and Michael Jibson (Four Lives) as Matthew Evansford.

The six-episode series is directed by BAFTA Award-nominee Clio Barnard (Ali & Ava) and written by fellow BAFTA Award-nominee Anna Symon (Deep Water). Barnard and Symon also serve as executive producers alongside Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Patrick Walters. See-Saw Films produces for Apple TV+.

Danes is a multi-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner who starred as Carrie Mathison in the Showtime drama series Homeland from 2011 to 2020. The Essex Serpent marks her first television role since the Showtime espionage thriller ended its run. Her other credits include the ABC teen drama My So-Called Life and the films Little Women, Romeo + Juliet, The Hours, and A Kid Like Jake.

Hiddleston, meanwhile, recently reprised his role as Loki for the Disney+ series of the same name. He has starred across multiple films and TV series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition, he received two Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe award for his role in the AMC/BBC limited series The Night Manager.

The first two episodes of The Essex Serpent premiere May 13, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday.

The Essex Serpent, Premieres, May 13, Apple TV+