Netflix’s Eric TV show puts Marvel’s Benedict Cumberbatch on the other side of a Sherlock-style mystery thriller

From solving difficult cases to being caught up in one

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Netflix has revealed some first-look images forEric, a new mystery-thriller series starringMarvelactor Benedict Cumberbatch that’ll aim to subvert your genre expectations.

Created by Abi Morgan (Suffragette,Sex Traffic), the 80s-set drama – which I picked out asone of four exciting Netflix shows that were teasedat a recent Next on Netflix UK event – sounds like it become your next mystery-filled TV obsession. Before I get into what it’s about, though, you’ll want to check out the aforementioned images, which provide a taste of what’s to come from the newNetflixshow in the gallery below:

If you think Cumberbatch is looking rather bedraggled in those images, it’s all part of the design of his character Vincent, a New Yorker who becomes increasingly desperate and delusional when his child suddenly goes missing. It’s an aesthetic that’s a far cry from his more dapper days asDoctor Strangein theMCUand even more disheveled than Cumberbatch’s spell as iconic British detectiveSherlock Holmes.

But I digress. Here’s the full story synopsis forEric, courtesy of Netflix: “Set in 1980s New York, Eric is a new emotional thriller [that] follows the desperate search of a father when his nine year old son disappears one morning on the way to school.

“Vincent (Cumberbatch), one of New York’s leading puppeteers and creator of the hugely popular children’s television show ‘Good Day Sunshine’, struggles to cope with the loss of his son Edgar. Becoming increasingly distressed and volatile, and full of self-loathing and guilt around Edgar’s disappearance, he clings to his son’s drawings of a blue monster puppet [called] Eric.

“Convinced that if he can get Eric on TV then Edgar will come home, Vincent’s progressively destructive behaviour alienates his family, his work colleagues, and the detectives trying to help him. It’s Eric, a delusion of necessity, who becomes his only ally in the pursuit to bring his son home.”

Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffmann and McKinley Belcher III star in Eric — premiering May 30.The series follows a father’s desperate search for his nine year old son who disappears one morning on the way to school. Full of self-loathing and guilt, he clings to his son’s… pic.twitter.com/Y13NqQ5VO0March 22, 2024

The six-part limited series also stars Gaby Hoffman (Winning Time,Girls), McKingley Belcher III (The Passage), Dan Fogler (The Walking Dead,The Offer), and Clarke Peters (Da 5 Bloods,The Irregulars). Cumberbatch joins Morgan, Jane Featherstone, Lucy Dyke, and Lucy Forbes onEric’s executive producing team.

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Will Eric have enough about it to join ourbest Netflix showslist once it makes its debut on the world’sbest streaming service? Without seeing a trailer, let alone a full episode, I can’t say with any certainty that it will. But, with an A-lister in Cumberbatch at the helm, plus the fact that it straddles two popular entertainment fields in the mystery and thriller genres, I’m going to put my neck on the line and say it should be successful enough. Don’t make me eat my words, Benedict.

Ericwill exclusively launch on Netflix on May 30.

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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 thisMoon 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.

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