Netflix sets Benedict Cumberbatch limited series ‘Eric’ for May release: See the first photos

Netflix has added yet another limited series contender to the 2024 Emmys cycle.

On Friday, the streaming platform announced “Eric,” a six-episode miniseries starring Benedict Cumberbatch, will debut on May 30. “Eric” is the second major limited series Netflix added to its May lineup this week, following the news that the David E. Kelley show “A Man in Full” with Jeff Daniels will premiere on May 2.

The 2024 Emmys eligibility period ends on May 31.

Created by the acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Abi Morgan (“The Iron Lady,” “Shame”), “Eric” is described by Netflix as an “emotionally gripping story of a desperate father searching for his son in 1980s New York; an era when racism, homophobia, and classism were neglected, and prejudices surrounding the AIDS epidemic were at the cultural forefront.”

Cumberbatch stars as Vincent, a popular puppeteer and children’s show creator whose life unravels after his son disappears on the way to school. In addition to Cumberbatch, a seven-time Emmy nominee and previous winner for “Sherlock,” “Eric” also stars Gaby Hoffman, McKinley Belcher III, Dan Fogler, and Clarke Peters. Morgan wrote the series with Lucy Forbes (“This Is Going to Hurt”) as the show’s director.

Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix:

Set in 1980s New York, Eric is a new emotional thriller from Abi Morgan following the desperate search of a father when his nine-year-old son disappears one morning on the way to school. Vincent, one of New York’s leading puppeteers and creator of the hugely popular children’s television show, ‘Good Day Sunshine,’ struggles to cope with the loss of his son, Edgar, becoming increasingly distressed and volatile. Full of self-loathing and guilt around Edgar’s disappearance, he clings to his son’s drawings of a blue monster puppet, ERIC, convinced that if he can get ERIC on TV then Edgar will come home. As Vincent’s progressively destructive behavior alienates his family, his work colleagues, and the detectives trying to help him, it’s Eric, a delusion of necessity, who becomes his only ally in the pursuit to bring his son home. 

Netflix has several major Emmy contenders in the limited series category this year, including “Ripley” with Andrew Scott, “Griselda” with Sofia Vergara, and the aforementioned “A Man in Full.” Earlier this year, Netflix won Best Limited Series for “Beef,” which also took home Emmy Awards for the show’s leads, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun.

See photos from “Eric” above and below. The show debuts on May 30, so expect a trailer soon enough.

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