Taboo is a BBC television drama series produced by Scott Free London and Hardy Son & Baker. It premiered on BBC One in the United Kingdom, on 7 January 2017 and on FX in the United States, on 10 January 2017. The eight-episode series was created by Steven Knight, Tom Hardy, and his father, Chips Hardy, based on a story written by Tom and Chips Hardy.
In 1814, adventurer and businessman James Delaney (Tom Hardy) returns to England having spent twelve years in Africa, following the death of his father and the approaching end of Great Britain’s 1812 war with the United States. Taboo explores the dark side of 19th-century London, political and business corruption involving the East India Company, criminal gangs, and the misery of the working class.
Kristoffer Nyholm and Anders Engström each directed four episodes of the first series (season). Max Richter composed the score.
The series has received generally favourable reviews, with critics praising Hardy’s performance, visual presentation, and pacing.
