There’s a new show in town and we predict it’s going to cause a bit of an uproar. The Shards has enough glamour and teenage hedonism to keep us going until autumn, plus a serial killer on the run among the million-dollar Bel Air homes of Hollywood.
The FX show, which will air on Disney+ from 6 August in the UK, is directed by Ryan Murphy and based on the semi-autobiographical book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis (of American Psycho fame), who also co-created and co-wrote the show.
Courtesy of Disney+
The story follows a group of ultra-wealthy high school friends who are entering their final year as the 1980s begins. The elite group is made up of Susan Reynolds, the beautiful student body president played by Kaia Gerber, narrator Bret Ellis (hello, not-so-subtle link to the author) played by Igby Rigney, Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner) and Thom Wright (Graham Campbell) who is Susan’s boyfriend and the All-American homecoming king. But as a new student, Robert Mallory (Homer Gere, son of Richard no less), transfers to their school, the clique comes under threat and Bret is determined to find out who he really is.
As the friends start their final year of school, and end a summer of freedom – there are no responsible adults in this show – the city is paralysed by fear as a serial killer, nicknamed ‘The Trawler’, is on the loose. The drama unfolds against the backdrop of 1980s LA with an overriding atmosphere of freedom and decadence, and a brilliantly nostalgic soundtrack. So far, the reviews have been glowing: The Guardian said it was ‘gorgeously curated’ and gave it five stars.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch The Shards, as well as cast and episode release schedule.
Who is in the cast of The Shards?
The main cast includes:
- Igby Rigney (F9, The Midnight Club) as Bret Ellis
- Kaia Gerber (American Horror Story, Bottoms) as Susan Reynolds
- Hayes Warner as Debbie Schaffer
- Graham Campbell (Late Fame) as Thom Wright
- Homer Gere (Euphoria) as Robert Mallory
- Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld, Thirteen) as Liz Schaffer
- Wes Bentley (American Beauty, Hunger Games, American Horror Story) as Terry Schaffer
- Jordan Roth as Steven Reinhardt
Courtesy of Disney+
How many episodes of The Shards are there?
There are nine episodes in total, each around 40-50 minutes long, although ‘Homecoming’ is split into two parts, each around 30 minutes. The first two episodes will be available on Thursday 6 August.
Here’s the full release schedule:
- 6 August – ‘Pilot’ and ‘Don’t You Want Me’
- 13 August – ‘Help Me! Rhonda’ and ‘Robert’s Party’
- 20 August – ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’
- 27 August – ‘Homecoming Part One’ and ‘Homecoming Part Two’
- 3 September – ‘Hamlet’
- 10 September – ‘Stairway to Heaven’
How do I watch The Shards in the UK?
The show is available to stream on Disney+ in the UK.
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Hannah Nathanson is Features Director at ELLE. She commissions, edits and writes stories for online and print, spanning everything from ’Generation Flake’ to cover profiles with Dua Lipa and Hailey Bieber. One of her most surreal moments as a journalist has been ‘chairing’ a conversation between Jodie Comer and Phoebe Waller-Bridge from her living room. The word she says most in the office is ‘podcast’.