Benedict Cumberbatch’s new TV series is a wild booze-soaked journey spanning the decades

This is Cumberbatch as you've never seen him before.

The trailer for Benedict Cumberbatch's new series Patrick Melrose promises a darkly comical affair, following the trials and tribulations of a self-described "narcissistic, schizoid, suicidal alcoholic" from the 1960s through to the early 2000s. Based on a series of semi-autobiographical novels by journalist Edward St. Aubyn, Patrick Melrose is a five-part series, with each episode devoted to one specific Melrose book. Starting in New York as Patrick goes on a 24-hour drug-binge while collecting his father's ashes, the Sky Atlantic drama follows the tormented but darkly humorous character as he attempts to overcome addiction and the lasting effects of his abusive parents in order to come out intact on the other side. Featuring a stellar cast, including Hugo Weaving (The Matrix), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Anna Madeley (The Crown), Allison Williams (Girls, Get Out) and Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Patrick Melrose is written by the BAFTA Award nominee David Nicholls (Far from the Maddening Crowd) and directed by Edward Berger (Deutschland 83, Jack). The series will be available in Ireland on Sky Atlantic and the TV streaming service NOW TV later this year. Check out out the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juVDBGuL8Jk&feature=youtu.be Clip via Sky Atlantic