We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: westerns are proving to be the televisual genre du jour, and for good reason. After all, they’re all about people stepping out into a brave new world and learning to reckon with a new normal – as we all are, actually, in the wake of the pandemic.

Is it any wonder, then, that BBC One and Amazon Studios have joined forces with phenomenally talented actor Emily Blunt to bring us an epic tale of love and revenge set in the mythic mid-American landscape in the year of 1890?

And just when we didn’t think we could be any more excited about the series, we’ve been treated to a second new trailer. In it, we get another glimpse of Blunt as a woman on an epic revenge mission, but it’s clear to see that this really will be a tense watch. Although it’s only 45 seconds long, we get a sense of the emotion, weapons and even see Blunt wielding an arrow.

Watch the new trailer here:

The second trailer comes after the first official one that dropped last month. In it, we get a better look at the drama at the centre of The English, which is not just a standard western but one that will also explore identity, race, love and power in the most intriguing of ways.

Here’s what you need to know about The English.

What’s the plot of The English?

Unlike so many other westerns, The English is focused on an aristocratic Englishwoman – not an all-American cowboy. And an Englishwoman who’s hellbent on revenge, no less.

That’s right; as per the show’s official synopsis, the series sees Cornelia Locke arrive into the new and wild landscape of the West looking for the man she believes responsible for the death of her son. 

It’s not long before she’s joined forces with Eli Whipp, an ex-cavalry scout and member of the Pawnee Nation by birth. Together, they “cross a violent landscape built on dreams and blood”, and discover a shared history which must be defeated at all costs if either of them are to survive.

“They must face increasingly terrifying obstacles that will test them to their cores, physically and psychologically,” the synopsis continues. “But as each obstacle is overcome it draws them closer to their ultimate destination, the new town of Hoxem, Wyoming.

“It is here, after an investigation by the local sheriff Robert Marshall (Stephen Rea) and young widow Martha Myers (Valerie Pachner) into a series of bizarre and macabre unsolved murders, that the full extent of their intertwined history will be truly understood, and they will come face to face with the future they must live.”

Who stars in The English?

As mentioned already, Blunt – who has dazzled us time and time again, thanks to her standout performances in A Quiet Place, Mary Poppins Returns, The Girl On The Train, and Your Sister’s Sister – takes the lead in this drama as the vengeful Cornelia Locke.

Twilight’s Chaske Spencer, meanwhile, will star opposite her as Eli Whipp. And that’s not all for this star-studded cast; Rafe Spall, Tom Hughes, Stephen Rea, Valerie Pachner, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, Malcolm Storry, Steve Wall, Nichola McAuliffe, Sule Rimi, and Cristian Solimeno all have important roles to play in this story, too.

What are people saying about The English?

Written and directed by multi-award-winning Hugo Blick (The Honourable Woman), the cast and crew of The English are incredibly excited about their new TV project.

“The chance to make a western with Emily Blunt and the cast is so delicious I’m still wondering if it’s one of those weird dreams we were all having during lockdown,” says Blick.

“If not, a thrilling, romantic, epic horse-opera is heading to your screen sometime next year, and I couldn’t be more excited.”

And Greg Brenman, CEO of production company Drama Republic, has added: “Hugo Blick has created a compelling, modern love story set against the epic landscape of a western. The English is a true adventure that will tell us as much about the times we live in today as the period in which it is set.”

When will The English be available to watch on BBC One?

We finally have a release date and we can now add The English to our winter watchlist as it will be hitting our TV screens this November. The series will premiere on BBC Two on 10 November, with episodes available to watch on iPlayer.

As a joint venture between the BBC and Amazon Studios, the series not only premieres on BBC Two and iPlayer in the UK but will also be released on Prime Video in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on 11 November.

Main image: BBC/Amazon Studios