Many Netflix subscribers tuned into the new police drama Bodies, due to one particular fan-favourite cast member, Stephen Graham.
The Liverpudlian actor has gifted us with standout performances throughout his career from Boiling Point to Line Of Duty, but this time, he threw viewers, as he ditched his staple Scouse accent.
The eight-part science-fiction series offers a twist on the classic crime drama, as four detectives discover the same, identical body across four different time periods: 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053.
After it landed on Netflix on Thursday (19 October), viewers took to social media to share their surprise at Stephen’s change in voice.
“Is awesome watching @StephenGraham73 nice bit [of] posh talking there,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), as another joked: “Just saw Stephen Graham talking without a Scouse accent and I’m not OK with it. Who gave him permission?”
A third commented: “Stephen Graham trying to hide that Scouse accent [laughing emoji]. Great effort tbf.
As another avid fan asked the all important question: “Is Stephen Graham without his accent really Stephen Graham?”
Speaking about the new series, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Si Spencer, Stephen said: “When I heard that [directors] Marco Kreuzpaintner and Haolu Wang were combining to do the series, that sold it for me.
“Writers Paul Tomalin and Danusia Samal did an amazing job of keeping it fresh and exciting.”
A full synopsis of the show teases: “When a dead body appears in the streets of London, it seems like business as usual for the detective working the case.
“Unbeknownst to her, that same victim shows up in the same spot across three other points in time: in 1890, during the Victorian era; 1941, some of Britain’s darkest days of World War II; and 30 years in the future. As the investigations converge, they reveal a sinister conspiracy that threatens London.”
All eight episodes of Bodies are available to stream now on Netflix.