“The Sentinels” Streams Free on BBC iPlayer Starting July 11, 2026

All eight episodes of the French-produced series “The Sentinels” become available for free streaming on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 9 p.m. BST. The same eight-episode run will also air in weekly double-bills on BBC Four at the same time slot.

Tom's Guide

“The Sentinels” adapts the graphic-novel series “Les Sentinelles” by Xavier Dorison and Enrique Breccia. The creators’ wartime narrative reimagines the First World War as a conflict fought by “enhanced humans” created through a secret French military program.

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Low-ranking soldier Gabriel Ferraud (Louis Peres) is gravely wounded early in the war and recruited into the clandestine project that produces Les Sentinelles, a unit of super-soldiers with extraordinary strength, speed and resilience. Deployed to the brutal front lines, Gabriel discovers lethal secrets that could alter the war’s outcome. Meanwhile, his wife Irène (Olivia Ross), told he died in action, launches her own investigation into the hidden program, taking her into the seedy underbelly of wartime Paris. The series blends sci-fi action with a slow-burn mystery, exploring “what it means to be human, and the power of taking the life of another during a time of conflict.”

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• Louis Peres as Gabriel Ferraud

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• Olivia Ross as Irène Ferraud

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• Thibaut Évrard as Djibouti

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• Pauline Étienne as Marthe

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• Kacey Mottet Klein, Carl Malapa, Ouassini Embarek, Jean-Michel Rucheton, Noam Morgensztern, Nastya Golubeva, Carax Gabriel, Almaer Jonas, Bachan Nadir, Legrand Sergej, Onopko Jochen, Hägele – supporting roles

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• Canada and Australia: full series available free on SBS On Demand.

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• United States: no confirmed streaming platform; “there’s currently no word on when ‘The Sentinels’ might stream in the U.S., but watch this space for more info when we get it.”

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• Viewers abroad can access the UK iPlayer feed via a VPN (e.g., NordVPN), which routes the device through a UK server to bypass regional blocks.

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BBC iPlayer’s launch announcement confirms the series will be streamed at no charge in the UK, positioning the show as a flagship sci-fi drama for the summer schedule. Tom’s Guide’s coverage highlights the series’ free availability and the network’s strategy of pairing the release with a weekly double-bill on BBC Four, expanding audience reach.

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While the UK, Canada and Australia have clear streaming pathways, the United States lacks a definitive distribution plan, creating uncertainty for American viewers. No official U.S. broadcaster or streaming service has been named, and the timeline for a potential U.S. release remains unspecified.

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• “Based on Xavier Dorison and Enrique Breccia’s graphic novel of the same name, ‘The Sentinels’ is an action-packed and often harrowing sci-fi take on one history’s deadliest conflicts, with echoes of “RoboCop” and Marvel churned up with some gnarly steampunk vibes.” — Tom’s Guide, Editorial

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• “Both slow-burn mystery and action packed drama, the show is a unique take on a number of well-trodden genres.” — Tom’s Guide, Editorial

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• “With shades of “Frankenstein,” the show explores what it means to be human, and the power of taking the life of another during a time of conflict.” — Tom’s Guide, Editorial

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