Scripted series · BBC One
His Dark Materials
The truth lies beyond the world we know.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Dafne Keen
Lyra Silvertongue
23 eps
Amir Wilson
Will Parry
19 eps
Ruth Wilson
Mrs Coulter
23 eps
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Ogunwe
8 eps
Ariyon Bakare
Lord Carlo Boreal
15 eps
Simone Kirby
Mary Malone
15 eps
Jonathan Aris
Commander Roke
8 eps
Chipo Chung
Xaphania
8 eps
Lewin Lloyd
Roger Parslow
14 eps
Jamie Ward
Father Gomez
8 eps
Ruta Gedmintas
Serafina Pekkala
13 eps
James McAvoy
Lord Asriel
12 eps
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lee Scoresby
13 eps
Jade Anouka
Ruta Skadi
10 eps
Lia Williams
Dr Cooper
5 eps
Will Keen
Father President MacPhail
20 eps
Simon Manyonda
Benjamin De Ruyter
3 eps
Nabil Elouahabi
The Bright-Eyed Man
2 eps
Geoff Bell
Jack Verhoeven
4 eps
Tyler Howitt
Billy Costa
3 eps
Ruby Llewelyn
Rose
2 eps
Mary Fernandez
Esme
2 eps
Morfydd Clark
Sister Clara
4 eps
Mat Fraser
Raymond Van Gerrit
4 eps
Robert Emms
Thomas
6 eps
Eloise Little
Salcilia (voice)
4 eps
Clarke Peters
The Master
3 eps
Ian Peck
Cardinal Sturrock
3 eps
Gary Lewis
Thorold
4 eps
Nina Sosanya
Elaine Parry
6 eps
Jamie Wilkes
Pale Faced Man
7 eps
Kit Connor
Pantalaimon (voice)
22 eps
Helen McCrory
Stelmaria (voice)
4 eps
David Suchet
Kaisa (voice)
7 eps
Joe Tandberg
Iorek Byrnison (voice)
10 eps
Cristela Alonzo
Hester (voice)
9 eps
Remmie Milner
Lena Feldt
4 eps
Ella Schrey-Yeats
Paola
5 eps
Sophie Okonedo
Xaphania (voice)
4 eps
Sasha Frost
Reina Miti
5 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How His Dark Materials actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
His Dark Materials reads strongest on Spectacle, Character Depth and Bingeability.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
Lyra is an orphan who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. She is later joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As she learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds.
The run
Seasons
3 seasons · 23 episodes.
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
202021 episodes
Season 1 · Complete
Series 1
20198 episodes
7.8IMDbSeries 1 follows Lyra, a seemingly ordinary but brave young girl from another world. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers an evil plot.
Best episode · S01E06 The Daemon-Cages
Season 2 · Complete
Series 2
20207 episodes
7.5IMDbSeries 2 begins after Lord Asriel has opened a bridge to a new world, and, distraught over the death of her best friend, Lyra follows Asriel into the unknown. In a strange and mysterious abandoned city she meets Will, a boy from our world who is also running from a troubled past. Mrs. Coulter searches for Lyra, determined to bring her home by any means necessary.
Best episode · S02E04 Tower of the Angels
Season 3 · Complete
Series 3
20228 episodes
7.3IMDbIn the final chapter, Lyra, the prophesied child, and Will, the bearer of The Subtle Knife, must journey to a dark place from which no one has ever returned. As her father’s great war against the Authority edges closer, they will learn that saving the worlds comes at a terrible price.
Best episode · S03E07 The Clouded Mountain
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06
The Daemon-Cages
Lyra discovers the horrific truth behind the Gobbler’s activities in the North. She must use all her wits to help free those around her and avoid suffering a terrible fate.
- Directed by William McGregor, Euros Lyn
- Written by Jack Thorne
S01E08
Betrayal
As the Magisterium closes in, Lyra learns more about Asriel’s rebellion. But her assistance to him comes at great personal cost.
- Directed by William McGregor, Jamie Childs
- Written by Jack Thorne
S01E05
The Lost Boy
The alethiometer sends Lyra and Iorek on a new path, leading to a shocking but vital clue in her search to find her friend Roger and the other missing children.
- Directed by Otto Bathurst, William McGregor
- Written by Jack Thorne
S01E07
The Fight to the Death
Separated from her friends, Lyra must use all of her methods of deception to thwart a formidable foe. Meanwhile, Mrs Coulter plots her next move.
- Directed by William McGregor, Jamie Childs
- Written by Jack Thorne
S02E04
Tower of the Angels
In search of the knife, Will and Lyra try to gain entry into the Torre Degli Angeli. Lee finds Grumman - or Jopari, as he is now known - and they take to the sky in search of the knife bearer.
- Directed by Leanne Welham
- Written by Jack Thorne, Namsi Khan
S01E04
Armour
Lyra and the Gyptians arrive in the North and seek the help of the Witches’ Consul, Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby and an armoured bear in service to the town.
- Directed by Otto Bathurst
- Written by Jack Thorne
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S03E08
The Botanic Garden
- Directed by Harry Wootliff
- Written by Francesca Gardiner
S03E07
The Clouded Mountain
- Directed by Amit Gupta
- Written by Francesca Gardiner
S03E05
No Way Out
- Directed by Russell Dodgson, Weronika Tofilska
- Written by Amelia Spencer
S03E04
Lyra and Her Death
- Directed by Charles Martin
- Written by Jack Thorne
S03E03
The Intention Craft
- Directed by Charles Martin
- Written by Jack Thorne
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Jack Thorne
Showrunner
Joel Collins
Executive producer
Julie Gardner
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Ben Irving
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Carolyn Blackwood
Executive producer
Tom Hooper
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Piers Wenger
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Ryan Rasmussen
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Deborah Forte
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Dan McCulloch
Executive producer
Toby Emmerich
Executive producer
Otto Bathurst
Executive producer
Philip Pullman
Executive producer
Francesca Gardiner
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Jamie Childs
Executive producer
Jane Tranter
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Lydia Adetunji
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Amelia Spencer
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Sarah Quintrell
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Namsi Khan
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Joel CollinsExecutive Producer
- Stephen HarenProducer
- Julie GardnerExecutive Producer
- Ben IrvingExecutive Producer
- Carolyn BlackwoodExecutive Producer
- Tom HooperExecutive Producer
Writing
- Lydia AdetunjiWriter
- Amelia SpencerWriter
- Jack ThorneWriter
- Sarah QuintrellWriter
- Francesca GardinerWriter
- Namsi KhanWriter
Direction
- Dawn ShadforthDirector
- Russell DodgsonDirector
- Harry WootliffDirector
- Charles MartinDirector
- Tom HooperDirector
- Amit GuptaDirector
Cinematography
- David LutherDirector of Photography
- Petra KornerDirector of Photography
- David HiggsDirector of Photography
- Gary ShawDirector of Photography
- Suzie LavelleDirector of Photography
- Joel DevlinDirector of Photography
Music
- Lorne BalfeOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- HBO Max Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- HBO MaxStreaming
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