Noughts + Crosses is a British drama television series based on the Noughts & Crosses novel series by Malorie Blackman. The series is set in an alternative history where black "Cross" people rule over white "Noughts".
The first episode aired on BBC One on 5 March 2020, and the remaining episodes premiered on BBC iPlayer on the same day. In May 2021, the BBC announced that a second series had been commissioned.
Contents
Synopsis
The BBC synopsis reads: "Against a background of prejudice, distrust and powerful rebellion mounting on the streets, a passionate romance builds between Sephy and Callum which will lead them both into terrible danger".
Setting
The series takes place in present-day London in an alternative history where, 700 years prior, several nations in what is presently West Africa combined to form the powerful African Empire and went on to colonise Europe. After a conflict known as the Great World War, control of Europe is split between different African factions, with mainland Europe under control of the Malian Empire and the Moors, whereas Albion (comprising Great Britain and Ireland) and parts of Scandinavia remain under the thumb of the African Empire.
Russia and the Balkans remain in active conflict with the African colonisers, although since the Great World War their national borders have been pushed back. The Ottoman Empire also exists, still controlling parts of Middle East.
Albion appears to be a self-governing colony with its own (Cross) Prime Minister and executive leadership, an exclusively Cross police force, and a military only just opened up to a small number of Nought high-achievers. However, it is still accountable to the African Empire based on the African continent. As of 1950, racial segregation is rigidly enforced in the colony between those of wealthy African descent (known as Crosses or daggers) and the poorer native Europeans (known as Noughts or blankers).
Cast and characters
Main
Masali Baduza as Persephone "Sephy" Hadley, the daughter of a Cross politician and childhood friend of Callum
Jack Rowan as Callum McGregor, one of the first Nought army cadets at Mercy Point and a childhood friend of Sephy
Helen Baxendale as Meggie McGregor, Callum and Jude's mother and a housekeeper for the Hadley family
Paterson Joseph as Home Secretary Kamal Hadley
Josh Dylan as Jude McGregor, Callum's militant older brother
Shaun Dingwall as Jack Dorn, leader of the Liberation Militia
Jonathan Ajayi as Lieutenant Lekan Baako, a military officer and Sephy's boyfriend
Kiké Brimah as Minerva Hadley, Sephy's older sister
Rakie Ayola as Prime Minister Opal Folami
Bonnie Mbuli as Jasmine Hadley, Kamal's wife and Sephy and Minerva's mother
Ian Hart as Ryan McGregor, Callum and Jude's father and a former militant activist (season 1)
Recurring
Jodie Tyack as Elaine Sawyer, a Nought cadet at Mercy Point
Michael Dapaah as Mensah (season 2)
Judi Love as Chidi (season 2)
Nathaniel Ramabulana as Sergeant Major Bolade Oluade, Callum's commanding officer at Mercy Point
Jasmine Jobson as Cara (season 2)
Nicholas Beveney as Police Deputy Commissioner Folu Abiola
Robert Hands as Clem (season 2)
Stormzy as Kolawale, Editor-in-Chief of the Ohene Standard
Jack Bandeira as Carl (season 1)
Luke Bailey as Yaro Baloyi-Hadley, Kamal's illegitimate mixed race son
Eunice Olumide as Omotola Aguda, a news anchor for CAN
Ore Oduba as Obiora Akintola, a news anchor for CAN
Kagiso Rathebe as Chidike Akindele (season 1)
Episodes
Production
In 2016, the BBC announced they were producing an adaptation, to be written by Levi David Addai and Matthew Graham. They had to bow out and Toby Whithouse took over in 2018. Jay Z's company Roc Nation and Participant Media co-produced the series. In November 2018, it was announced Jack Rowan and Masali Baduza were cast as Callum McGregor and Sephy Hadley respectively.
Filming for the series began in November 2018 in South Africa.
On 18 May 2021, the BBC announced that a second series had been commissioned.
Distribution
In New Zealand, the series is available on the free streaming service TVNZ On Demand, while in Australia it was first screened on pay television channel BBC First in September 2020 and is also distributed by Foxtel on their platform. The series premiered on ABC Television in November 2021, and became available on their free streaming platform, ABC iview.
The series was added to the Peacock streaming service in the United States in September 2020. The series is streaming on SonyLIV in India. In Hungary, the series is available on HBO GO.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack, titled Noughts + Crosses: The Soundtrack, was released on BBC Sounds on 10 February 2020, without track one being available.
Reception
Series 1
The Guardian's Josh Lee gave the first series four out of five stars, describing it as a "reverse-race love story that is vital viewing." Lee praised the series for highlighting the challenges that working-class white people and people of colour share in the real world through its depiction of racism in an alternative world dominated by African supremacy.
Series 2
The Guardian's Jack Seale gave the second series two out of five stars, remarking that the show's aim to "be a chilling fable, a talking point, a shaming call to action" was undercut by confused priorities as an adaptation, explaining, "It airs late and features too much swearing, violence and politics for a young audience, while perhaps not being brutal enough for an adult saga with such a strong premise.".