BBC returns to sci-fi

Following the success of last year's pilot, sfx-laden supernatural drama Strange has been greenlit for a series by BBC controller of drama commissioning, Jane Tranter.

The (6×60') run will reunite stars Richard Coyle, Samantha Janus and Ian Richardson in the BBC and Big Bear Films coproduction for BBC1. Coupling star Coyle plays a modern day demon hunter who teams up with Janus to hunt down the dark forces that walk the earth.

Tranter described Andrew Marshall's new scripts as {cleverly combining tension with wit and light humour.{ Marshall's previous efforts include the whodunit Poirot and the comedy 2point4 Children.

Traditionally, sci-fi is one of the few genres that the BBC seldom commissions, relying on glossy US imports like Taken and The X-Files to fill the niche. However, said Tranter, Strange {brings the sci-fi thriller genre back to the forefront of British television drama after a long absence.{