The Count of Monte Cristo is getting another adaptation, this time with Sam Claflin and Jeremy Irons. As previously announced, the new series will premiere on PBS through PBS Masterpiece following its 2024 debut overseas. PBS has just announced when it will premiere in 2026, along with the first photos (above and below) from the upcoming series.
The Count of Monte Cristo is a lushly lensed adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ iconic masterpiece. The epic series is directed by two-time Palme d’Or and Oscar-winner Bille August.
The show will come out first on PBS’s streaming services before debuting on the linear channel. The Count of Monte Cristo will premiere via streaming on the PBS app and PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video on Sunday, March 1, 2026. A weekly broadcast will begin on Sunday, March 22, at 10/9c on PBS.
Claflin stars as Edmond Dantès, a young sailor who was falsely accused of treason and is imprisoned without trial in the Château d’If, a grim island fortress off Marseille, France. After many years of captivity, he finally escapes and discovers treasure, making him one of the richest men in the world. Under the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo, he plans to take revenge on those who wrongly accused him.
Irons plays Abbé Faria, with Ana Girardot (The Returned) as Mercedes. The series also stars The Gilded Age‘s Blake Ritson, Karla-Simone Spence, and more.
Claflin’s newest series, Harlan Coben‘s Lazarus, premieres today (October 22) on Prime Video. It stars Claflin as a forensic psychologist who investigates cold-case murders after returning to his family home following the death of his father, played by Bill Nighy.
See more photos from the PBS Count of Monte Cristo below.
Jeremy Irons as Abbé Faria
Paolo Modugno / MASTERPIECE and Mediawan
Sam Claflin as Edmond Dantès and Ana Girardot as Mercédès
Paolo Modugno / MASTERPIECE and Mediawan
The Count of Monte Cristo, Series Premiere, Sunday, March 22, 10/9c, PBS, Streaming Sunday, March 1, PBS app and PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video