BBC Two's gritty period drama The North Water has released its first official trailer, featuring Stephen Graham, Jack O'Connell and Colin Farrell.

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Set in the late 1850s and based on the acclaimed novel by Ian McGuire, the series follows Patrick Sumner (O’Connell), a disgraced ex-army surgeon hired as a ship's doctor on a whaling exhibition to the Arctic.

However, "the ferocity of the elements is matched by the violence of his crewmates", according to the official BBC synopsis.

In the trailer, harpooner Drax (Farrell) mocks Sumner for his abandoned "ambition" and failed dreams, while elsewhere we see the two men repeatedly clashing.

"As the true purpose of the expedition becomes clear, a confrontation between the two men erupts, taking them on a journey far from solid ground and beyond the safe moorings of civilisation," according to the synopsis.

The cast and production team filmed sequences as far as 81 degrees north – the furthest point north it is believed a TV drama series has ever filmed before.

The North Water comes from See-Saw Films for the BBC and is adapted and directed by Andrew Haigh. Executive producers are Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman for See-Saw Films, Niv Fichman for Rhombus Media, and Jo McClellan for the BBC.

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The North Water airs on BBC Two later this year. You can order Ian McGuire's The North Water here. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV Guide. Visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.

Authors

Flora CarrDrama Writer, RadioTimes.com
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