A Discovery of Witches (TV series)

Lore & Background

The series follows Diana Bishop, a historian and reluctant witch, who unexpectedly discovers a bewitched manuscript in Oxford's Bodleian Library. This discovery forces her back into the world of magic to unravel the secrets it holds about magical beings. She is offered help by a mysterious biochemist and vampire, Matthew Clairmont. Despite a long-held mistrust between witches and vampires, they form an alliance and set out to protect the book and solve the mysteries hidden within while dodging threats from the creature world. The main cast includes Edward Bluemel, Louise Brealey, Malin Buska, Aiysha Hart, Owen Teale, Alex Kingston, and Valarie Pettiford.

Reader's Guide

A Discovery of Witches received generally positive reviews, with praise for the chemistry between the main characters. On Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 33 critics gave the first series a positive review, with an average rating of 7/10. The second series had 81% positive reviews from 21 critics. Metacritic gave the first series an average score of 67 out of 100, indicating 'generally favorable reviews'. The series was nominated in the longlist for Best New Drama at the British National Television Awards in October 2018, and later made the shortlist for Best New Drama at the 24th National Television Awards. The international distribution was handled by Sky Vision, and the series became available on AMC's subscription services Sundance Now, Shudder, and AMC Premiere from January 2019. Its American television debut occurred on 7 April 2019 on AMC and BBC America.

Did You Know?

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The Central Story

The television adaptation draws its narrative from Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy, taking its title from the first novel in that collection. At the heart of the story is Diana Bishop, a tenured historian at Yale University who is also a reluctant witch. While working at the University of Oxford, where she studies alchemy and the history of science, she stumbles upon a bewitched manuscript hidden in the Bodleian Library. This single discovery drags her back into a magical world she had long tried to leave behind, compelling her to unravel secrets the book holds about various magical beings. Enter Matthew Clairmont, a mysterious biochemist who is, in fact, a vampire. Despite centuries of deep-seated mistrust between their two species, the pair forge an unlikely alliance. Together they set out to protect the manuscript, decode its hidden mysteries, and navigate a dangerous landscape of threats from the wider creature world. Their partnership becomes the emotional and narrative engine of the entire series.

A Layered Ensemble of Magical Beings

Beyond the central duo, the series builds a rich world populated by witches, vampires, and daemons who occupy overlapping academic and social spheres at Oxford. Matthew Clairmont's immediate circle includes his vampire son Marcus Whitmore, his scientific colleague Miriam Shephard, his best friend Hamish Osborne (a daemon), and his brother Baldwin Montclair, who leads the Congregation. Diana's side features her aunt Sarah Bishop, Sarah's partner Emily Mather, and fellow witch-academic Gillian Chamberlain. The Congregation itself functions as a recurring power structure, with members including Peter Knox, Domenico Michele, Agatha Wilson, and the ancient Gerbert d'Aurillac. As the series progresses, the cast expands significantly: series two introduces Matthew's mother Ysabeau de Clermont, his stepfather Philippe, his sister Louisa, and a range of historical figures including Elizabeth I, Kit Marlowe, Walter Raleigh, and Rudolf II. Series three brings in new vampires, daemons, and witches such as Fernando Gonçalves, Benjamin Fuchs, and Jack Blackfriars, deepening the generational and political stakes.

From Film Pitch to Welsh Studios

The journey to the screen began in 2011 when Warner Bros. acquired the film rights to Harkness's novels. That project entered early development, with playwright David Auburn attached to write the screenplay and producers Denise Di Novi and Allison Greenspan on board. However, the adaptation ultimately shifted to television when Sky One purchased the rights to create a series. Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode were cast as the leads, and principal photography spanned roughly six months, wrapping on 16 February 2018. Much of the filming took place in Wales, both on location and at Bad Wolf Studios in Cardiff, with the production handled by Bad Wolf and Sky Studios. For the second series, a first look was shared in September 2019, and by December of that year it was confirmed that UK filming had wrapped, with additional scenes to be shot in Italy.

Three Series, One Final Chapter

The first series, comprising eight episodes, premiered on Sky One in the United Kingdom on 14 September 2018, airing on a weekly schedule. In a notable move, Sky One renewed the show for both a second and a third series on 2 November 2018, before the first series finale had even been broadcast. The ten-episode second series followed a different release strategy: it was made available in its entirety on 8 January 2021, while also airing weekly on Sky One. The third and final series, consisting of seven episodes, was released all at once on 7 January 2022. By that point, Sky One had been shut down, so the weekly broadcast moved to Sky Max. The shift from a single weekly premiere to a full-season drop, combined with the channel transition, marked a significant change in how audiences experienced the story. Across its three runs, the series delivered a total of twenty-five episodes that carried Diana and Matthew through an escalating saga of magical politics, personal history, and inter-species conflict.