The Beeb has lined up the historical series for an early 2017 airdate with the first episode premiering on 7 January - three days before it's shown in the US.

Set in 1814, the drama - which is based on a story Hardy devised with his father Chips - will see the Mad Max: Fury Road actor play James Delaney, an adventurer who uncovers a dark family conspiracy upon returning home from Africa with the aim of avenging his father's death.

Perhaps most excitingly, Taboo will mark another venture into a British period setting for Steven Knight, the man behind popular BBC series Peaky Blinders - the fourth and fifth series of which was recently confirmed by the BBC.

Hardy has collaborated with Knight before; he appeared in the show's second series as gangster baker Alfie Solomons, as well as in the lead role of Knight's film Locke.

Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Show all 15 1 /15 Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Cillian Murphy filming at the horse fair BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art The Eden Club BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Inside The Eden Club BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art The new Garrison pub BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Inside the new Garrison pub BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art London (though scenes were actually filmed in Bolton) BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art London, post bar fight BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Solomon's Headquarters BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Inside Solomon's Headquarters BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Tommy's office BBC Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art Peaky Blinders: Behind-the-scenes and concept art

Taboo co-stars Oona Chaplin, Jonathan Pryce and Michael Kelly who was most rceentlys een in an episode of Charlie Brooker's dystopian Netflix series Black Mirror (every episode of which we ranked here).

Knight - who we interviewed earlier this year - is currently working on the script for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follow-up which is a sequel despite not being an adaptation of Stieg Larsson's second novel.