Tennant stars as intrepid adventurer Phileas Fogg in the upcoming BBC One series.

By Patrick Cremona

Published: Friday, 17 September 2021 at 12:00 am


David Tennant takes on the iconic role of Phileas Fogg in the upcoming BBC One adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel Around the World in 80 Days – and RadioTimes.com can exclusively reveal some first-look images from the show.

The pictures show the character – complete with a rather dashing moustache – as he travels on his globe-trotting adventure, with the first picture showing him walking with purpose in what looks to be a small town.

A further image shows him flanked by his traveling companions Passepartout (Ibrahim Koma) and Abigail Fix (Leonie Benesch) as they stand in the path of a steam train.

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And we can also reveal some stills of the locations, filmed in Cape Town, South Africa but which moonlight as locations in Yemen.

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The above image represents the port town of Al Hudaydah, while the below stands in for The Empty Quarter, the desert on the way to the city of Aden.

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And there are also some brand new character stills – the first of which shows Tennant as Phileas Fogg, the intrepid adventurer whose ingenuity and clever contraptions are put to the test throughout the voyage.

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Koma stars as Passepartout, Fogg’s trusty French sidekick who goes with him on every step of the journey.

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And The Crown star Benesch plays Abigail Fix, a journalist who accompanies the men in order to chronicle the adventure.

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Meanwhile, a short teaser trailer has also been released, which sees Fogg declare, “I’m going to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days,” to mocking laughs from his Reform Club peers.

We then see various clips from the expedition, as Fogg says, “My companions, Abigail Fix and Passepartout. Let the adventure begin!”

And the final moments of the teaser see a rather unexpected enemy threaten to get the better of Fogg – as he does battle with a fly that’s flown into his eye.

Production on the eight-episode series wrapped in March this year and the show will be the latest in a long line of adaptations of Jules Verne’s classic story, with Tennant following in the footsteps of the likes of David Niven, Pierce Brosnan and Steve Coogan in playing Fogg.

Around the World in 80 Days comes to the BBC later in 2021. Want to watch something sooner? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Drama hub for all the latest news and features.