Quick summary
- Taboo, the 2017 period thriller starring Tom Hardy, is finding new viewers on streaming.
- In Australia it is now on Apple TV, according to MovieWeb.
- Hardy has said a second season is being written, though no release date has been given.
- The renewed interest follows the success of MobLand, the Paramount+ crime series Hardy leads.
Almost a decade after it first aired, Tom Hardy’s gloomy 19th-century revenge drama Taboo is back in front of audiences. MovieWeb reports that the series is climbing streaming charts again and is available on Apple TV in Canada and Australia, as well as on Prime Video and, free, on Tubi in the United States. Hardy has also said that a second season is in the works.
What Taboo is about
Taboo premiered in 2017 on BBC One and FX. Hardy plays James Keziah Delaney, an adventurer who returns to London in the early 1800s after years abroad and long presumed dead. He comes home to deal with the legacy of his late father, and sets out to find out what happened to him.
Hardy did not just star. According to MovieWeb, he wrote the series with his father, author Chips Hardy, and Steven Knight, the writer behind Peaky Blinders. Ridley Scott, the director of Gladiator and Blade Runner, came on as an executive producer. The supporting cast includes Jessie Buckley, Oona Chaplin, Stephen Graham, Jefferson Hall and David Hayman.
Critics were warm rather than ecstatic. MovieWeb cites a 76 per cent critics’ score, against 91 per cent from audiences. That gap suggests the show won over viewers more than reviewers, a pattern that fits its later reputation as a sleeper hit.
A slow start, then a second life
The show’s ratings story is unusual. Comic Book Resources (CBR) reports that Taboo peaked at just 3.9 million live viewers on the BBC. In the United States, where streaming viewers are counted, it averaged 5.8 million per episode, a figure that helped secure a renewal soon after the first season.
That renewal has taken a long time to turn into anything. CBR says progress has been slow because of Hardy’s schedule, and that he has confirmed his interest in developing the show without being able to say when it will arrive. Nine years have passed since the first season.
What Hardy has said about Season 2
Hardy has addressed the delay directly. Speaking to MovieWeb last year, he said the second season was “never been something that we didn’t want to do. It’s a question of when, and doing it properly.” MovieWeb adds that he later said in 2025: “We’re writing that at the moment.”
MovieWeb expects the new season to follow Delaney as he sails for the New World under an American flag, because most of the first season’s main plotlines were resolved. That is the outlet’s reading, not a confirmed plot from the production.
Why MobLand is part of the story
Both outlets tie Taboo’s revival to MobLand, the crime drama from Guy Ritchie in which Hardy plays Harry Da Souza, a fixer for a powerful crime family. CBR argues the two shows share a tone, with Hardy playing a morally grey schemer in both, and that MobLand’s strong ratings show an appetite for more of him in complex crime roles.
That is a commentator’s view, but the timing supports it. Viewers who arrive for MobLand have a ready-made back catalogue to explore, and Taboo is the title both articles point them to. If you want more drama coverage, see our TV & Dramas section.
Another Hardy film is also streaming
Taboo is not the only older Hardy title getting attention this week. Digital Spy reports that the 2011 spy film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is now on BBC iPlayer for the next month. Gary Oldman plays the spymaster George Smiley, and Hardy plays field agent Ricki Tarr, who brings evidence of a Soviet mole inside British intelligence.
The film won three BAFTA awards, including Outstanding British Film, and earned three Oscar nominations, according to Digital Spy. iPlayer availability is generally limited to UK viewers, so Australian audiences should check local services. For more on his film work, browse our Movies page.
What happens next
No premiere date, cast list or filming schedule for Taboo Season 2 has been announced. The only confirmed point is Hardy’s own statement that the writing is under way. Until a studio or broadcaster confirms more, treat any date you see online as speculation. For the latest on other stars, visit our Celebrities hub.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I watch Taboo in Australia?
According to MovieWeb, Taboo is now streaming on Apple TV in Australia and Canada. In the United States it is on Prime Video and free on Tubi.
Is Taboo Season 2 confirmed?
Hardy has said the second season is being written, and a renewal followed the first season. No release date has been announced.
Who is in the cast of Taboo?
Besides Hardy, the cast includes Jessie Buckley, Oona Chaplin, Stephen Graham, Jefferson Hall and David Hayman, per MovieWeb.
Is Taboo connected to MobLand?
No. They are separate shows, but both feature Hardy as a morally grey, dangerous character, which is why outlets are linking them.
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