TV & Film
The BBC’s gripping new eight-part murder thriller is perfect for your next binge-watch
Everything you need to know about the new series
The Serpent follows the story of real-life serial killers from the 1970s, who drugged and stole the identities of travellers in Thailand, Nepal and India.
Starring Tahar Rahim as Charles Sobhraj and Jenna Coleman as his girlfriend and accomplice Marie-Andrée Leclerc, the co-production from the BBC and Netflix is inspired by the real-life events of Sobhraj, who led detectives on a wild goose chase around Asia in the 70s as he carried out a spree of crimes.
The pair travelled across Thailand, Nepal and India in 1975 and 1976 on the ‘hippie trail’, where they became the chief suspects in a series of murders of young Western travellers.
Sobhraj eventually became known as The Serpent due to his skills at deception and evasion, and he even got the nickname ‘The Bikini Killer’ due to the attire of his victims.
While the story and subject matter of the drama is rather disturbing, many viewers have not been able to see past the dreadful ’70s wigs the stars are wearing.
One viewer wrote on Twitter: “Really enjoyed The Serpent apart from the lead character’s appalling wigs.”
A second added: “Do all the men go to the same wig shop, they look ridiculous!!!”
Speaking of her new role and filming in Bangkok, Jenna said: “The scenery is incredible, and Bangkok has such a frenzy and an energy that it really infiltrates into the series.
“There’s just so much life and culture. It’s the hottest place to shoot, though. Wearing a wig in the 1970s in Bangkok is very hot!”
She added that one of the most difficult things was nailing the French-Canadian accent of Marie-Andrée, she said: “Both her French-Canadian accent when speaking English, and then her French-Canadian accent when speaking French. To try and find that was really hard.
“Many of the actors I was filming with are French themselves, so to try and work authentically within that realm was a big challenge.”
The Serpent continues on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday January 10th – or you can binge the entire series on iPlayer.