An unlikely Victorian crime-fighting trio take on the baddies of London’s East End in new Channel 4 comedy Year of the Rabbit.


Here’s what you need to know about the star-studded new series…

When is Year of the Rabbit on TV?

Year of the Rabbit began on Monday 10th June at 10pm on Channel 4, and continues on Mondays at 10pm.

A one-off pilot was first commissioned in 2017, and in June 2018 Channel 4 officially confirmed six 30-minute episodes.

Is there a trailer for Year of the Rabbit?

YES!

What is Year of the Rabbit about?

Set in Victorian London, this spoof comedy cop show will feature “street gangs, crooked politicians, Bulgarian princes, spiritualists, music hall stars and the Elephant Man” according to Channel 4.

Matt Berry stars as Detective Inspector Rabbit, “a hardened booze-hound who’s seen it all,” while Freddie Fox plays his hapless, by-the-books partner Wilbur Strauss. Susan Wokoma completes the trio, starring as Mabel Wisbech – the lewd but insightful adoptive daughter of the chief of police, who also happens to be the country’s first female police officer.

The drama is loosely based on Scotland Yard’s emerging Murder Squad. Taking viewers back to the 1880s, this is the time of notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper and his murder spree.

The drama is written by Kevin Cecil and Andrew Riley, whose previous work includes Veep and Black Books. Matt Berry himself has provided additional material, announcing that he is “looking forward to stepping back in time to fight crime in the same significant year which bought us Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, The Elephant Man and of course Jack The Ripper.”

Who is in the cast of Year of the Rabbit?

Keeley Hawes, star of Bodyguard, Line of Duty and The Durrells, will play the mysterious Lydia.

“Lydia is such an enigmatic character,” she said. “It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable, bonkers experience.”

Smack the Pony and Miranda star Sally Phillips has been cast as Princess Juliana of Bulgaria, while soap actress and former Strictly star Jill Halfpenny features as Inspector Rabbit’s ex, “the deadly Flora.”

Sally Phillips commented, “I can report that there is literally nothing more pleasurable than playing a haughty, 19th Century, pansexual, Bulgarian autocrat with access to guns. I may have peaked.”

Over at Whitechapel police station you’ll find New Tricks actor Alun Armstrong as Chief Inspector Wisbech (above), as well as Game of Thrones’ Paul Kaye as Inspector Rabbit’s nemesis DI Tanner.


Other Year of the Rabbit guest stars include Line of Duty’s Craig Parkinson, Ripper Street’s David Dawson, Widows actress Ann Mitchell, Sex Education’s Alistair Petrie and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace star Matthew Holness.