The series was previously released on Disney Plus.
It seems as though many of Disney Plus’s hit series are slowly but surely making their way over to terrestrial TV for all to see. Off the back of shows like Under the Banner of Heaven and Extraordinary being acquired by ITVX, Disney Plus and Hulu drama The Dropout now has an official BBC One air date.
The Amanda Seyfried-starring series will debut on BBC One for a double episode dose on Tuesday 19th March at 10:40pm and then at 11:30pm.
The series stars Seyfried as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, a college dropout turned billionaire businesswoman who claimed to be making revolutionary blood tests that didn’t actually work.
The eight-part drama is based on the ABC podcast of the same name which was hosted by journalist Rebecca Jarvis.
The series chronicles Holmes’ childhood in Texas, her Stanford University days and the inception of her tech company at the age of 19.
As per the synopsis: “Money. Romance. Tragedy. Deception. From Executive Producer Elizabeth Meriwether, The Dropout is the story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) and Theranos, an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye?”
The series was previously released on Disney Plus (and Hulu in the US) in 2022 with RadioTimes.com calling it a “vanilla-flavoured version of an amazing story“.
Alongside Seyfriend, the rest of The Dropout cast includes Lost alum Naveen Andrews and includes supporting roles for Stephen Fry (It’s A Sin), Dylan Minnette (Scream) and Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird).
Seyfried has since been seen on our screens in roles such as The Crowded Room, but on the release of The Dropout, she told Good Morning America: “I was never too concerned with us being on the wrong path because of all the research and [show creator] Liz Meriwether at the helm.
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“This is our version of the story, and then real life is happening. And you’re like – you want to be involved but you don’t want to be too involved because you want to be able to serve the story.”
On playing a real person, the actress said: “Being able to absorb the footage and mimic somebody and try to embody somebody that actually… there’s a template out there, is very exciting. I hate to say that because it’s a real person with real consequences and a real life – and I wish her well – I just, as an actor, very specifically, it was thrilling.”
The Dropout will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer on Tuesday 19th March at 10:40pm and 11:30pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on.
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