How to watch Our Flag Means Death in the UK
Arrrrrrr you ready to laugh?
It's taken almost a year for pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death to set sail for our shores, but the series is finally dropping anchor in the UK to kick off 2023 on a high note.
The series has already become a major hit in the United States, where it airs on streaming service HBO Max, following upper class gentleman Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) as he attempts to make a name for himself on the open seas.
Of course, with his privileged background, he's hopelessly unprepared for a ruthless life on the waves, where bloodthirsty pirates and other deadly threats are a daily occurrence.
The series counts Flight of the Conchords alumni Darby and Taika Waititi among its top comedy names, with the former playing hapless Bonnet and the latter as notorious captain Blackbeard.
With such strong praise from across the pond and such a high caliber of talent involved, the BBC has swooped in to finally bring this treasure to the UK. Read on for all the details on how to watch Our Flag Means Death.
How to watch Our Flag Means Death in the UK
Our Flag Means Death will premiere on BBC Two and iPlayer on Wednesday 4th January 2023.
The broadcaster acquired the series, along with fellow HBO Max comedy Search Party, towards the end of last year, off the back of glowing praise from across the pond.
The series serves as a strong companion piece to fellow BBC acquisition What We Do in the Shadows, as both come from executive producer Taika Waititi (Thor: Love and Thunder, Jojo Rabbit).
The series premiered in the US back in March 2022 and has already been renewed for a second season.
Our Flag Means Death cast: who else stars?
Frequent collaborators Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi lead the cast of Our Flag Means Death, playing Barbadian aristocrat Stede Bonnet and fearsome pirate captain Blackbeard respectively, both of whom are loosely based on real historical figures.
The dysfunctional crew of their shared ship, the Revenge, is comprised of a number of established comedy players including Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting), Joel Fry (Cruella), Samson Kayo (Bloods) and Guz Khan (Man Like Mobeen).
Viewers may also recognise Game of Thrones icon Kristian Nairn, who plays fire-obsessed crewmate Wee John Feeney, while No Time to Die's Rory Kinnear features in a dual role as a British naval captain (and his identical twin).
Rounding out the main cast are Con O'Neill (Happy Valley), David Fane (Eagle vs Shark), Vico Ortiz (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Samba Schutte (Sunnyside), Nat Faxon (Friends from College), Matthew Maher (Mozart in the Jungle) and Nathan Foad (Newark, Newark).
But Our Flag Means Death also boasts a number of big name recurring guest stars, including Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live), Fred Armisen (Toast of Tinseltown), Nick Kroll (Big Mouth) and Will Arnett (Arrested Development).
What is Our Flag Means Death about?
Created by David Jenkins (People of Earth), the 10-part comedy revolves around Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), an 18th century aristocrat who acquired himself a ship and took to the seas, where he became known as the 'Gentleman Pirate'.
In the series, Stede initially struggles to gain the respect of his crew, but that looks set to change when he runs into the notorious Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), who takes a keen interest in the aspiring sea captain.
Our Flag Means Death trailer
Watch the official Our Flag Means Death trailer below.
Our Flag Means Death is available to stream on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday 4th January 2023. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
