Netflix's 'The Sandman' is Full of PBS Favorites

Game of Thrones represented a significant turning point in prestige dramas when it hit big on HBO. Dozens of shows have attempted to copy its formula, with varying success. But the one thing many of these shows agree on is hiring A-list British talent is a must. From His Dark Materials to The Nevers, these who's-who casts of BBC players are a hallmark of streaming's biggest plays for award-worthy shows. Netflix is a hardcore believer in that route, from Bridgerton to Shadow and Bone and now the streaming service's latest Next Big Thing, The Sandman.

The show is based on Neil Gaiman's seminal comic series that took the genre from superheroes to the more respectable sounding "graphic novel." The Sandman is a dark fantasy series blending mythology and history is a story starring anthropomorphized metaphysical entities Dream, Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Destruction, and Delirium (formerly known as Delight). It is considered one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, and Gaiman's unlikely hit affected the trajectories of both urban fantasy and comics for a generation after.

Though most of Gaiman's projects have been under the Amazon umbrella since the success of Good Omens, The Sandman was produced by Warner Bros (which has the rights via its overall deal with DC comics), originally meaning it for HBO. But the premium cabler passed because the budget was too large, leaving Netflix to snap it up. The resulting first season, which consists of ten one-hour episodes, may not quite hit the famous price tag of Stranger Things 4 (which reportedly rang in at $30million an episode), but it sure looks expensive.