We've been teased with the promise of Noughts & Crosses for what feels like a lifetime but our patience has finally paid off. Malorie Blackman's award-winning cult novel is receiving the BBC treatment for a glossy TV adaptation and the first trailer is here. Brace yourself, though. It doesn't look anything like the world you've had in your head all these years. It's even better.
In London, Albion, there's a huge, fictitious divide between the Noughts and Crosses – this dystopia's black and white communities. Sephy (Masali Baduza), daughter of a prominent politician and a member of the black ruling class, and Callum (Jack Rowan), of the white underclass, have known each other since childhood. They love each other deeply but, divided by race and surrounded by growing social tensions, they are forced to keep their relationship secret.
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A quick shot of a sign that forbids interracial couples is followed by Sephy and Callum sharing a desperate kiss. Around them, violence is brewing and the tension is unbearable – even more so if you've read Blackman's trilogy and know how this story ends. A quick cameo from beloved musician Stormzy isn't enough to temper the atmosphere; nevertheless, you're left vibrating with anticipation for what's coming next.
"In this world, love is never black + white," appears across the screen in the trailer's final moments and boy, what an impact it leaves. Check it out for yourself below:
You'll be relieved to know that it's just a little bit longer to wait before the most hotly anticipated show of the year hits our TV screens. Noughts + Crosses is due to land on BBC One on Thursday 5th March, with all six episodes arriving on iPlayer straight after the broadcast. This, my friends, is shaping up to be TV's most emotional, cinematic experience this season and the wait certainly seems to have been worth it.