Hugh Laurie's "riveting" crime drama with Line of Duty stars confirms release date with first look

Apple TV has revealed the first look at The Wanted Man, its "riveting" brand-new drama starring Thandiwe Newton, Fionn Whitehead, Stephen Dillane, and Hugh Laurie, who also serves as executive producer.

Created, written and executive produced by George Kay, the man behind Hijack and Lupin, the show follows Laurie's organised crime boss Felix Carmichael.

The plot kicks off when he is betrayed by one of his own and sent to a notorious prison, where he has to fight to survive.

Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV

But he doesn't just want to survive, he wants to escape. After all, his family, business, and wealth are all at stake.

The newly-released images show Laurie in prison, and various characters going about their business, but the most interesting image shows Whitehead's character in front of a flipped-over burning car. An attempt on Carmichael's life, perhaps?

The cast also includes Gina McKee (who, like Newton, starred in Line of Duty), Elliott Heffernan, and Hazel Doupe, while London Spy and The Fall's Jakob Verbruggen directs.

The eight-episode series will have a two-hour premiere on Wednesday, 6 January 2027, and will then drop one episode a week until 17 February.

Related: Highly-anticipated BBC drama based on "truly exceptional" novel lands first look with Ludwig star

Back in June, it was announced that Laurie had joined the cast of Legacy of Spies, the BBC's upcoming adaptation of the John le Carré novel that serves as the sequel to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

The show had already amassed an impressive list of actors, including Matthew Macfadyen, Charlie Hunnam, Dan Stevens, Daniel Brühl, and more.

Also in June, the actor had an online spat with a journalist on social media who had started watching his hugely-popular series House but found it repetitive.

The Wanted Man will premiere on Apple TV on Wednesday, 6 January 2027, and will release episodes every Wednesday until 17 February.

Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.

The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of Dolly Parton's life, is here. Buy Dolly in newsagents or online.

Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.