The French war drama, The Sentinels, recently landed on BBC iPlayer – and viewers have wasted no time getting stuck into the show.

Based on the graphic novels Les Sentinelles by Xavier Dorison and Enrique Breccia, the eight-part drama follows Private Gabriel as he joins an elite unit on a mission to end WWI. 

Billed as an "adrenaline-drenched steampunk-style thriller," the series promises a blend of sci-fi, action and espionage. 

As the show climbs BBC iPlayer's most-watched chart, find out all you need to know below. 

Viewers have been full of praise for the series since it arrived on BBC iPlayer. 

Taking to social media, one person hailed the drama as "very dark and mysterious," while another binge-watched all eight episodes, adding: "I really enjoyed the storytelling and the atmospheric cinematography... Absolutely stunning."

Over on IMDb, a third viewer described it as "a wild, stylish series that surprises at every turn".

Meanwhile, the show received a positive critical response, with The Guardian handing out four stars, hailing it as "exciting, propulsive and not based on the same old threadbare franchises."

Set at the outbreak of World War I, the series follows Gabriel Ferraud, a gravely wounded soldier, who is recruited into a top-secret French military program designed to create the ultimate weapon: enhanced humans. 

The synopsis continues: "After being injected with a mysterious serum, Gabriel gains extraordinary strength, speed, and resilience. He joins an elite unit known as the Sentinels - augmented soldiers forged for the front lines.

"But as the war intensifies, Gabriel uncovers a terrifying truth that could alter the fate of the conflict."

Louis Peres stars as soldier Gabriel Ferraud. 

He's joined by Thibaut Evrard, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Nastya Golubeva Carax, Carl Malapa, Olivia Ross, Ouassini Embarek and more.

The Sentinels is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.

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