Sanctuary:_A_Witch's_Tale
Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale
2023 American supernatural TV series
Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale is an American supernatural drama television series written and created by Debbie Horsfield based on the 2020 novel Sanctuary: A Novel of Suspense, Witchcraft, and Small Town Secrets by V.V. James. The seven-part series premiered on January 4, 2024.
| Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Debbie Horsfield |
| Based on | Sanctuary: A Novel of Suspense, Witchcraft, and Small Town Secrets by V.V. James |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production companies | AMC Studios Monumental Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | AMC+ Sundance Now |
| Release | January 4, 2024 (2024-01-04) – present |
In the fictional small English town of Sanctuary, witches have lived in the open for centuries as accepted and sacred members of the community. Sarah Fenn is a witch whom the townspeople rely on for remedies when other methods have failed. When Dan Whithall, a local teen, a rugby captain, and a bully is accidentally pushed to death at a party, his mother Abigail, out of her grief and convictions begin a modern witch hunt against Sarah believing her son to be a saint and Sarah's daughter, Harper whom Dan betrayed and abused for fun is the cause of her beloved son's death.
- Elaine Cassidy as Sarah Fenn
- Hazel Doupe as Harper Fenn
- Stephanie Levi-John as DCI Maggie Knight
- Amy De Bhrún as Abigail Whithall
- Stephen Lord as Ted Bolt
- Darragh Gilhooly as Jake Bolt
- Adam Isla O’Brien as DC Ryan Henshall
- Cian Hoyne as Jonny Moloney
- Elish Liburd as Izzy Paterson
- Barry John Kinsella as Michael Whithall
- Sophie Mensah as Cheryl Lee
- Valerie O'Connor
- Kelly Campbell
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Lisa Mulcahy | V.V. James and Debbie Horsfield | January 4, 2024 (2024-01-04) | |
| When a teen sports star dies, the community of Sanctuary is shattered. DCI Knight expects a straightforward investigation but the response of Harper, daughter of a local witch, leads her to suspect there's more to his death than meets the eye. | |||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Lisa Mulcahy | V.V. James and Debbie Horsfield | January 4, 2024 (2024-01-04) | |
| Sarah strives to prove daughter Harper's innocence against charges of witchcraft in Puritan New England, but their accuser Abigail blackmails them. | |||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Lisa Mulcahy | V.V. James and Debbie Horsfield | January 11, 2024 (2024-01-11) | |
| Magic confirmed at crime scene. Harper's revelation to Sarah risks making her a suspect if told to police. Harper's accusation spurs Abigail to seek revenge. | |||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Justin Molotnikov | V.V. James, Jessica Ruston, and Debbie Horsfield | January 18, 2024 (2024-01-18) | |
| Harper accuses Daniel of rape. Suspicion falls on Harper and Sarah. A vigil for Daniel stirs anger in Sanctuary. Abandoned by The Moot, Sarah despairs. Harper is targeted at school. | |||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Justin Molotnikov | V.V. James, Gabbie Asher, and Debbie Horsfield | January 25, 2024 (2024-01-25) | |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Justin Molotnikov | V.V.James and Debbie Horsfield | February 1, 2024 (2024-02-01) | |
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Unknown | Unknown | February 8, 2024 (2024-02-08) | |
Development
In August 2022, Sundance Now announced it had commissioned a new series Sanctuary based on the novel of the same name by V.V. James, who will also serve as an executive producer alongside Debra Hayward, Alison Owen, Alison Carpenter, Karen Richards, Debbie Horsfield, and Guymon Casady. Horsfield will also be serving as a writer on the series alongside Jess Ruston and Gabbie Asher. The series is directed by Lisa Mulcahy and Justin Molotnikov. Sanctuary will be an AMC production in partnership with Monumental Television.[2][3]
Casting
In August 2022 the cast was announced to include Elaine Cassidy, Hazel Doupe, Stephanie Levi-John, Amy De Bhrún, Abigail Whitehall.[4] Further cast members were announced in October and December 2023 including Valerie O'Connor, Kelly Campbell, Stephen Lord, Darragh Gilhooly, Adam Isla O’Brien, Elish Liburd, Barry John Kinsella, and Sophie Mensah.[5][6]
Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale debuted with a two-episode premiere on January 4, 2024, exclusively on Sundance Now and AMC+, with new episodes airing weekly.[5]
- "Shows A-Z – Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale on Sundance Now". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- Petski, Denise (10 August 2022). "AMC Networks' Sundance Now Expands 2023 Slate With Two New Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- Bolton, Cameron (15 August 2022). "Sundance Now Orders Two More Originals, Including One With Thomasin McKenzie". Movieweb.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- Bell, BreAnna (10 August 2022). "Sundance Now Orders Two More Originals, Including Thomasin McKenzie-Led 'Totally, Completely Fine'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- SHRISHTY (31 October 2023). "'Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale' Unveils Enchanting First Images & Release Date". Collider. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- Kaiya, Shunyata (7 December 2023). "Tragedy Strikes in AMC+'s First Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale Trailer". Paste. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
