A Discovery of Witches

Series Run: September 14, 2018 –
Total current Season(s): 3
Network(s): Shudder, Sky 1, SundanceTV
Genre: Romance, Serialized, Supernatural, Thriller
Additional Notes: Renewed for a bumper 2nd and 3rd season by Sky. Sundance TV has US rights to the series. Season 2 premiered January 8, 2020 on Sky One in the UK and January 9, 2020 on Sundance Now and Shudder in North America

"As gorgeously shot and cinematic as a Bond movie" - The Atlantic

"Love, danger, a little bit of lust and swoon-worthy story you'll want to binge over and over again" - TV Guide

"Luxurious and intelligent escapism... " - TV Insider

"Blends ingredients from Harry Potter, Being Human and Inspector Morse" - The Guardian

"Significantly sexier, scarier and more stylish than the Twilight films" - Collider

"The series lays out its world and characters briskly and intelligibly" - The New York Times

"No shortage of gorgeous locations, swoon-worthy actors, danger or mystery...

If you're a fan of sumptuous design, majestic locations, ancient buildings and atmospheric scenes, this show has you covered" - CinemaBlend

The highly anticipated supernatural thriller returns

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, Season 2

Exclusive North American Premiere on Sundance Now and Shudder on Saturday, January 9, 2021

One day after the UK Premiere

With a new episode premiering every following Saturday

Starring Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge) and Emmy-nominated Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey)

Featuring stunning lead performances from Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge) and Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey), the most successful series in Sundance Now's history, supernatural thriller A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, Season 2 makes its highly anticipated US and Canadian premiere on AMC Networks' streaming services Sundance Now and Shudder. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and one of Sky One's biggest dramas, A Discovery of Witches, Season 2 will be available to stream exclusively on Sundance Now and Shudder, including their offerings within the AMC+ bundle, beginning Saturday, January 9, 2021, just one day after its UK Premiere, with a new episode available every following Saturday. Adapted from Deborah Harkness' All Souls trilogy, the 10-part second season finds Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London - here they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. Sundance Now is AMC Networks' premiere streaming service for engrossing true crime, heart-stopping dramas and fiercely intelligent thrillers from around the world. AMC Networks' Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural.

In Elizabethan London, Matthew and Diana's romance faces a barrage of new threats. Diana's unleashed magic takes a dark and frightening turn, while Matthew struggles to re-inhabit the dangerous life he led over four centuries ago. They must overcome deep personal fears and jealousies, baring their darkest secrets to one another if they are to stay alive, stay together and find a way back to present day.

While Matthew and Diana hide out in Elizabethan London, back in present day, Diana's beloved aunts, Sarah (Alex Kingston, Doctor Who, ER) and Em (Valarie Pettiford, Half & Half), must take shelter with notorious witch hunter Ysabeau de Clermont (Lindsay Duncan, The Honourable Woman) at her ancestral home, Sept-Tours. Meanwhile, in Oxford, Marcus (Edward Bluemel, Killing Eve) and Miriam (Aiysha Hart, Line of Duty) take on Matthew's mantle to protect daemons Nathaniel (Daniel Ezra, All American) and Sophie (Aisling Loftus, War & Peace), whose pregnancy is advancing. And Gerbert (Trevor Eve, Waking the Dead), Knox (Owen Teale, Game of Thrones), Satu (Malin Buska, The Girl King) and Domenico (Gregg Chillin, Da Vinci's Demons) are determined to hunt down every clue they can to Diana's and Matthew's disappearance, and the secrets their allies are keeping from them.

Also starring James Purefoy (Rome, Pennyworth), Steven Cree (Outlander), and Adelle Leonce (Black Mirror) as new characters introduced in Season 2.

Made by Bad Wolf Productions, A Discovery of Witches has been adapted for screen by Pete McTighe (Doctor Who) and Susie Conklin (The Musketeers), who are also executive producers. The co-founders of Bad Wolf, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, and Lachlan MacKinnon are executive producers along with Deborah Harkness and Farren Blackburn. Farren Blackburn (The Innocents), Philippa Langdale (Harlots) and Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man) are the directors. Filming took place in South Wales and on location in Oxford and Venice.

Exclusive North American Premiere: Saturday, January 9, 2021 on Sundance Now and Shudder

Episodes: 10 (A new ep available every Saturday)

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Adapted from Deborah Harkness' best-selling trilogy of novels, A Discovery of Witches is a bold and romantic thriller that uncovers a secret underworld of extraordinary beings hiding in plain sight for fear of persecution by humans - they are vampires, witches and daemons. Brilliant historian Diana Bishop is a witch denying her own heritage. But when she unexpectedly calls up an ancient, bewitched manuscript from Oxford's Bodleian library, one that was thought by the creatures to be lost and could answer the mysteries of their existence, she finds herself thrown into the heart of a dangerous mystery - and into the path of the enigmatic geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont. Matthew is driven to solve the looming threat of the creatures' decline and extinction, but their unlikely alliance to find the book before it falls into the wrong hands and their deepening relationship - threatens to violate age-old taboos and shake the fragile peace that exists between the species.
A second and third season of A Discovery of Witches are on the way after the first bewitched nearly two million fans.

Adapted from Deborah Harkness’s bestselling All Souls trilogy, the Sky original production, which launched in September and was produced by Bad Wolf, was the biggest drama on Sky One this year. Seasons two and three will be returning to the channel and NOW TV, bringing to life the remaining stories from the trilogy.
Anne Mensah, Sky’s head of drama, said: “Season one was a brilliant introduction to the All Souls world and the love story between Diana and Matthew. We can’t wait for the show’s fans to continue the journey with seasons two and three, become more enchanted by the characters and watch the magic further unfold.”
A Discovery of Witches is a modern-day love story, set in a world where witches, vampires and daemons secretly live and work alongside humans, hidden in plain sight.

In the second season, Matthew (Matthew Goode, Downton Abbey) and Diana (Teresa Palmer, Hacksaw Ridge) are hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London - here they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life.

Back in the present day, Diana’s beloved aunts, Sarah and Em, must take shelter with notorious witchhunter Ysabeau de Clermont at her ancestral home, Sept-Tours. Meanwhile, in Oxford, Marcus and Miriam take on Matthew’s mantle to protect daemons Nathaniel and Sophie, whose pregnancy is advancing. And Gerbert, Knox, Satu and Domenico are determined to hunt down every clue they can to Diana’s and Matthew’s disappearance, and the secrets their allies are keeping from them.
Jane Tranter, Executive Producer, Bad Wolf, added: “We were absolutely thrilled that A Discovery of Witches was such a hit with viewers. There was a real sense of community throughout the run as fans old and new joined together to watch each week. We cannot wait to continue the journey with them and, as the show continues to sell around the world, expanding the global fanbase for these engaging and fascinating characters.”

Deborah Harkness, Author and Executive Producer, added: "Given how warmly the first season was received, I'm thrilled that we will continue with the story of the All Souls Trilogy for two more seasons. There is so much to look forward to as we travel into Matthew's past and delve further into the mysteries surrounding Diana's power and Ashmole 782."
Season two will also see the return of Owen Teale (Game of Thrones), Alex Kingston (Doctor Who), Lindsay Duncan (The Honourable Woman), Valarie Pettiford (Half & Half), Edward Bluemel (The Commuter), Aiysha Hart (Line of Duty), Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead), Malin Buska (The Girl King) and Gregg Chillin (Being Human).

Made by Bad Wolf Limited, A Discovery of Witches season two will be written by Sarah Dollard (Doctor Who, Being Human) and Susie Conklin (The Musketeers, Cranford), who will also serve as an Executive Producer alongside co-founders of Bad Wolf, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, and Lachlan MacKinnon along with Deborah Harkness.

A Discovery of Witches was commissioned for Sky One by Sky’s head of drama Anne Mensah. The series is co-funded and distributed internationally by Sky Vision.

Only six weeks after its UK premiere, A Discovery of Witches has already sold in 84 territories. This includes AMC Networks SVOD services Shudder and Sundance Now, as well as SundanceTV.