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The Essex Serpent is a bizarre tale set in the Victoria era, just at the end of the 19th Century, where young doctor Luke Garrett (Frank Dillane) examines the husband of Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes), who dies soon after. However, she won’t mourn him, even throwing away the earings he bought for her down the drain because he was an abusive husband.
She also gets assistance from her maid, Martha (Hayley Squires), whilst attracting the attentions of Will Ransome (Tom Hiddleston), who is clearly trying to crack on to her.
Meanwhile, the young doc wants to perform pericardial surgery on a person with a strong heart, so they don’t die on the operating table, to the point where it’s like he gets off on performing surgery on someone close to death.
There’s also rumours about the existence of the serpent on the water… and you thought the only thing odd in Essex was TOWIE and the trout-pouts!
It’s a time when “Anxiety in a female” is a medical condition, as well as a time of people who are a bit thick – Henry skins rats and hoists them up high to “scare away the beast“. It’s about as effective as putting a note on your letterbox which states “No junk mail”.
In addition, too many of the townsfolk are a bit of a simpleton because when young girl Gracie Banks goes missing, they all think: did the serpent do it?
Oh, and apparently, a seagull flying into someone’s house is a sign – and proof – that the serpent is real. Good Lord, these people are thick!
What a load of ponderous twaddle.
However, some people may like to see Tom Hiddleston wrestling a sheep out of lake.
The Essex Serpent is on Apple TV+ from today, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. Two episodes are available at launch, and then the rest are added weekly.
Check out the trailer below:
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 45-55 per episode (2 at first, then weekly)
Release date: May 13th 2022
Studio: Apple TV+
Format: 2.00:1
Director: Clio Barnard
Producer: Andrea Cornwell
Novel: Sarah Perry
Screenplay: Anna Symon, Hania Elkington
Music: Dustin O’Halloran, Herdís Stefánsdóttir
Cast:
Cora Seaborne: Claire Danes
Will Ransome: Tom Hiddleston
Luke Garrett: Frank Dillane
Martha: Hayley Squires
Stella Ransome: Clémence Poésy
Dr. George Spencer: Jamael Westman
Jo Ransome: Dixie Egerickx
Matthew Evansford: Michael Jibson
John Ransome: Ryan Reffell
Naomi Banks: Lily-Rose Aslandogdu
Henry Banks: Gerard Kearns
Frankie Seaborne: Caspar Griffiths
Sali: Deepica Stephen
Cracknell: Christopher Fairbank
Nev: Yaamin Chowdhury
Charles Ambrose: Nitin Ganatra
Jo Ransome: Dixie Egerickx
John Ransome: Ryan Reffell
Maureen Fry: Michael Asante
Jonah: Robin Berry
Gracie Banks: Rebecca Ineson
Michael Seaborne: Cal Macaninch
Thomas Taylor: Gareth Berliner
Rollings: Paul Anthony-Barber
Medical student: Benjamin Connolly
Samuel: Tommy French
Doctor Moran: Henry Davis
Doctor Caldwell: John MacCormick
Doctor Lim: Jules Chan
Doctor Zhao: Nicholas Goh
Cora’s maid: Zoe Scott
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.