David Tennant and Michael Sheen to star in Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens
The Doctor Who star will team up with the Frost/Nixon actor for the apocalyptic cult comedy
Former Doctor Who lead David Tennant will join Michael Sheen in the Amazon and BBC adaptation of Good Omens.
The original show, based on the book penned by American Gods creator Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett, is set in 2018 as humanity prepares itself for an incoming apocalypse. However, one angel (named Aziraphale) and a demon (Crowley) try to sabotage the end of times. But which actor will play what role? 10 points if you guessed Frost/Nixon actor Sheen will star as the angel of the piece, while Tennant takes the role of the demon.
“Michael Sheen, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett and directed by Douglas Mackinnon, it’s a dream team and a dream gig," said Tennant. "I am very excited that I’ve been asked to be part of this amazing project. Bring on the Apocalypse!”
“I first read ‘Good Omens’ as a teenager and it’s been one of my favourite stories ever since,” Sheen said. “To be part of the team entrusted with bringing it alive on screen is a bit of a dream come true to be honest. To work alongside Neil, who I think is one of the greatest storytellers of all time, is incredibly exciting. And, just like the rest of the world, I’m a huge fan of David’s so I relish trying to save it with him.”
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
We won’t have to wait long to see them both in action, with the show airing both on the BBC and streaming service Amazon Prime next year. The six hour-long episodes of the comedy drama will air first on Amazon Prime Video for members to stream in 200 countries worldwide, with a separate BBC broadcast following afterwards in the UK in a similar model to previous co-production Ripper Street.
BBC Studios is co-producing the series with production houses Narrativia and The Blank Corporation, in association with BBC Worldwide for Amazon Prime Video and the BBC.
Good Omens will stream on Amazon Prime in 2019, and on the BBC at a later date
Authors
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.