Rhys Darby stars in swashbuckling pirate adventure

Our Flag Means Death – the swashbuckling comedy starring Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi – is coming to BBC Two in the new year.

First released by HBO Max in March, the show is loosely based on the true adventures of 18th-Century would-be pirate, Stede Bonnet, played by Darby.

What We Do in the Shadows co-creator Waititi – who went on to direct  Thor: Ragnarok  and Jojo Rabbit – plays the   infamous Captain Blackbeard.

The cast also includes Brits Joel Fry, Samson Kayo, Nathan Foad, Guz Khan, Con O’Neill, Ewen Bremner and Rory Kinnear – while the starry line-up of guest stars includes Leslie Jones, Fred Armisen, Claudia O’Doherty, Kristen Schaal, Nick Kroll,  Tim Heidecker and Will Arnett.

The show – which has been renewed for a second series – has garnered praise for its substantial LGBTQ+ representation, which consists of three queer relationships, one of which involves a non-binary character.

Sue Deeks, the BBC’s head of programme acquisition says ‘Our Flag Means Death is a wonderfully rich and warm-hearted period comedy.’

The Corporation has also acquired Search Party – a dark comedy about a group of friends who become involved in the search for a missing young woman – which was previously available on Channel 4’s on-demand service All 4.

Described as ‘a trenchant satire of millennial culture, full of escalating events and consequences’, the show’s five seasons will air on BBC Three and iPlayer.

Alison Morris, and executive at international distributor Warner Bros. Discovery said: ‘We’re thrilled that Search Party and Our Flag Means Death have both found their UK home at the BBC. They are two very different but brilliant comedies that have helped to make HBO Max such a success in the US.’

Published: 7 Dec 2022