We are so ashamed that the announcement of this show flew under our radar, because it sounds so completely up our alley. Alex Kingston, whom you probably know from her work on Doctor Who or Arrow, is set to play a lesbian witch in an upcoming show for the UK’s Sky 1 called A Discovery of Witches, and we are here for it.
Thanks to Radio Times, we have a first look at Kingston in character on the new show, alongside co-stars Valarie Pettiford and Teresa Palmer. A Discovery of Witches is based on the Deborah Harkness novel of the same name, which is part of Harkness’ bestselling All Souls trilogy. It’s a supernatural romance about a young woman named Diana (Palmer), who is “forced back into the magical world after discovering a mysterious book, putting her at the centre of a centuries-old struggle between different supernatural forces and into the orbit of charming vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode).”
Kingston plays Sarah Bishop, Diana’s aunt and “a powerful witch and fierce protector of her family.” Diana moves in with Sarah who, along with her partner Emily “Em” Mather (Pettiford) raise her after her parents pass away.
Entertainment Weekly reports that the cast also includes “Lindsey Duncan (The Leftovers) as Matthew’s vampiric mother Ysabeau, Tanya Moodie (Sherlock) as a daemon Agatha Wilson, Daniel Ezra (BBC’s Undercover) as daemon Nathaniel Wilson, Edward Bluemel (House Finch) as vampire Marcus, and Freddie Thorpe (Overdrive) as new character for the series Matthieu Beny.”
This sounds like the show Sabrina the Teenage Witch should’ve been! But … will there be a talking black cat?
Turns out that Kingston isn’t the show’s only connection to Doctor Who. Not only is the show being executive produced by former Doctor Who executives Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner (along with the novel’s author, Harkness), but it was filmed at Bad Wolf Studios in Cardiff!
Said Kingston of being reunited with members of the Who family back when she was cast last year: “I’m thrilled to be working again with Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner. They brought me into Doctor Who and introduced me to Cardiff! And I am back again … A home from home, with a terrific cast and crew.”
A Discovery of Witches is set to broadcast on Sky 1 later this year, though no premiere date has been specified. Also not specified is whether the show has, or will have an international distributor to make it available in the U.S. Well, let me be among those who say, Yes, we want it! Please, and thank you!
(via Jill Pantozzi on Twitter, image: Sky 1)
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