The Listeners is a mysterious new BBC1 drama series starring Rebecca Hall which based on the bestseller by author Jordan Tannahill who's now adapted his novel for TV.
Rebecca plays Claire, a popular English teacher who begins to hear a low humming noise that no one else around her can hear. No apparent source or medical cause can be found yet the incessant sound starts to cause a rift between her and her husband Paul and daughter Ashley.
However, Claire soon finds herself a part of a disparate community who claim they can also hear ‘the hum’ and believe it can only be heard by a chosen few. We’re told The Listeners ‘explores the seduction of the wild and unknowable, the human search for the transcendent, the rise of conspiracy culture in the West, and the desire for community and connection in our increasingly polarised times.’
Here’s everything you need to know about The Listeners…
The Listeners release date
The Listeners will launch on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer in 2024. When a release date is announced we’ll let you know on here.
The Listeners plot
In The Listeners, teacher Claire begins to hear a low humming sound that no one else can hear. With no apparent cause identified, it starts to have a huge impact on her life, causing tension in her family.
Then, Claire realises that her student Kyle (Ollie West) can also hear the sound and the two strike up an unlikely friendship. The pair then come across a group of neighbours, led by the charismatic Jo and Omar, who also claim they can hear ‘the hum’ and believe it could be a gift for a special few.
The Listeners cast — Rebecca Hall as Claire
Rebecca Hall plays Claire, a teacher driven to distraction by a strange noise. She played Ilene Andrews in the movie Godzilla vs. Kong and has also had roles in Holmes & Watson, The BFG, The Awakening, The Town, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Frost/Nixon and A Rainy Day in New York, alongside Timothee Chalamet and Elle Fanning.
Who else is starring in The Listeners?
Other cast in The Listeners include Hamnet star Ollie West who plays Kyle, a student who can also hear the noise. Prasanna Puwanarajah (The Crown), Amr Waked (Ramy), Gayle Rankin (The Greatest Showman), Mia Tharia (Phoenix Rise), Franc Ashman (Inside Man), Samuel Edward Cook (Peaky Blinders) Karen Henthorn (Coronation Street), Lucy Sheen (Ping Pong) and Ian Mercer (All Creatures Great And Small) also star in the series.
Is there a trailer?
No, but if the BBC release one, we’ll put it up on this page.
Behind the scenes and more on The Listeners
The Listeners is created by Element Pictures (Normal People, The Favourite, Poor Things), a Fremantle company for the BBC, and directed by Janicza Bravo (Zola, Poker Face, Mrs America). The series is written by author Jordan Tannahill and directed by Janicza Bravo. Both also serve as executive producers, alongside Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Chelsea Morgan Hoffmann and Rachel Dargavel for Element Pictures, Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC, and Alice Birch. The series is produced by BAFTA-nominated Ed King (His House, Suspect, Howl). Global sales will be handled by Fremantle.
