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Showtime is expanding its original programming to Saturday nights, starting with the addition of the five-part drama Patrick Melrose to its existing sports and movie offerings.

Patrick Melrose: Benedict Cumberbatch as Patrick Melrose — Photo by Ollie Upton, courtesy of Showtime

Based on the acclaimed “Patrick Melrose” series of semi-autobiographical novels written by Edward St. Aubyn, Patrick Melrose stars Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game, Sherlock) as the eponymous character.

The five-part limited series, in which each episode is devoted to one of the five novels, follows Melrose’s struggles to overcome the damage inflicted by a horribly abusive father and the mother who tacitly condoned his behavior. Encompassing the South of France in the 1960s, New York in the 1980s, and Britain in the early 2000s, the drama is an acerbic and humorous look at his harrowing odyssey from a deeply traumatic childhood to his remarkable survival as an adult.

Academy Award® nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) and Screen Actors Guild® winner Hugo Weaving (The Matrix trilogy) costar as Eleanor and David Melrose, Patrick’s parents.

Rounding out the cast are Anna Madeley (Mr. Selfridge), Blythe Danner (Meet the Fockers), Allison Williams (Get Out), Pip Torrens (The Crown), Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife), Prasanna Puwanarajah (Doctor Foster), Holliday Grainger (The Borgias), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), and Celia Imrie (Bridget Jones’s Baby).

A co-production between Showtime and Sky Atlantic, Patrick Melrose is written for television by BAFTA Award® nominee David Nicholls (Cold Feet) and directed by the multiple award-winning Edward Berger (Deutchland 83, Jack).

The series, produced by Two Cities Television, is executive produced by Michael Jackson and Oscar nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe® winner Rachael Horovitz (Moneyball, Grey Gardens). Cumberbatch executive produces along with Adam Ackland for SunnyMarch, and Helen Flint serves as executive producer for Little Island Productions.

Patrick Melrose premieres in the US with its first episode on Saturday, May 12, at 9 PM ET/PT, on Showtime, with the remaining four episodes airing at the same time on subsequent Saturdays.

The first episode airs in the UK on Sunday, May 13, at 9 PM GMT, on Sky Atlantic, and will be available the same day for on-demand streaming on NOW TV.

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Patrick Melrose: Showtime Adding Limited Drama Series to Saturday Night Lineup
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