Netflix's new mind-bending TV show is going to be your next crime thriller obsession

Detective Hillinghead inspects a dead body in the 19th century in Netflix's Bodies TV series

Netflix's Bodies is a crime thriller set across four timelines. (Image credit: Netflix)

The first trailer for new Netflix crime drama Bodies has arrived, and it looks like a mind-bending detective drama I can get behind.

Based on Si Spencer's mind-boggling graphic novel of the same name, Bodies is a thriller-based miniseries that'll aim to reinvent the crime genre when it arrives on the world's best streaming service later this year. Before we explain what it's actually about, why don't you take a look at the Netflix show's first, dramatically slow-burning teaser below?

I think you'll agree, it's an interesting premise for a series to have. Well, based on what it shows anyway. For a more detailed explanation as to what Bodies' story is about, read the official plot synopsis, courtesy of a Netflix press release.

You may like

"Four detectives. Four timelines. One body," the logline reads. "Based on the mind-bending graphic novel by Si Spencer, Bodies is a police procedural with a twist.

"When a body – the same body – is found on Longharvest Lane in London's East End in 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053, one detective from each period must investigate. As connections are drawn across the decades, the detectives soon discover their investigations are linked, and an enigmatic political leader – Elias Mannix – becomes increasingly central. Did he have a part to play in the murder? Or is something far more sinister at play? To solve the mystery, our four detectives must somehow collaborate and uncover a conspiracy spanning over 150 years."

An image showing four press photographs from different timelines in Netflix's Bodies TV show — *Bodies* will subvert your expectations when it comes to crime thrillers later this year. (Image credit: Netflix)

Paul Tomalin, the brainchild behind No Offence and Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood, is Bodies' showrunner and co-lead writer. Danusia Samal, who penned the scripts for The Great, one of the best Hulu shows around, joins Tomalin as co-lead on Netflix's live-action adaptation. Marco Kreuzpainter (Beat, The Lazarus Project) is on lead directorial duties, with Haolu Wang (Doctor Who) tackling some of the series' episodes.

Bodies' cast is one not to be sniffed at, either. Andor's Kyle Soller, Time and Boiling Point star Stephen Graham, and The Sandman's Amaka Okafor are arguably its most notable cast members. Joining the trio on the main cast roster are Star Wars and The Great alumnus Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, as well as Shtisel's Shira Haas, who'll be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Phase 5 movie Captain America: Brave New World.

Bodies will launch exclusively on Netflix on Friday, October 19, with all eight, 60-minute long episodes landing on the platform on the same date.

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.