'Say Nothing' To Quietly Arrive in November

Since being brought under the Disney banner, FX has struggled to find its footing as a network. Initially developed by 20th Century to be Fox’s answer to cable channels like AMC and HBO, Disney recognized it had landed a valuable asset — the House of Mouse lacked a network/streaming service that regularly rolled out awards darlings — but wasn’t sure what to do with it, at first creating “FX on Hulu” in a bizarre attempt to combine the Emmy voter favorites before abandoning that plan mid-stream. At this point, “FX” is more like “Marvel” or “Pixar,” a sub-brand whose identity is centered around high-end, must-watch prestige TV like Shogun, The Bear, and its newest limited series, Say Nothing.

Based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s critically adored true crime/nonfiction book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, the series adapts Keefe’s deep dive into the 1970s history of “The Troubles.” One part gripping mystery of the kidnapping of Jean McConville in 1972, who was “disappeared” by the IRA, one part historical record of those who participated in a fight for freedom that suddenly vanished out from under them in 1997, Say Nothing is an accounting of the tragedy of the “armed struggle” using the story of one mother who never came home to capture a larger truth.

The series centers around four actual IRA members, some of whose names will be recognizable to everyone: Gerry Adams, Brendan Hughes, Marian and Dolours Price. The former became heralded for the Good Friday Accords in 1997, and the latter two never fully recovered from their time in prison; Dorours took her own life in 2013.

Here's the series synopsis:

Say Nothing is a gripping story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Spanning four decades, the series opens with the shocking disappearance of Jean McConville, a single mother of ten who was abducted from her home in 1972 and never seen alive again. Telling the story of various Irish Republican Army (IRA) members, Say Nothing explores the extremes some people will go to in the name of their beliefs, the way a deeply divided society can suddenly tip over into armed conflict, the long shadow of radical violence for all affected, and the emotional and psychological costs of a code of silence.

Lola Petticrew (Bloodlands) and Hazel Doupe (Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale) lead the series as Dolours and Marian Price, with Maxine Peake (The Hollow Crown) as the older Dolours Price. Anthony Boyle (Shardlake) plays Brendan Hughes, and Josh Finan (The Responder) is Gerry Adams. The cast also features Megan Cusack (Call The Midwife), Paul Mallon (Derry Girls), Valene Kane (Blue Lights), and Jack Myers (Masters of the Air).

Writer Josh Zetumer (Robocop) adapted the nine-episode series from Keefe's book and served as showrunner; director Michael Lennox (How to Get To Heaven from Belfast) helmed episodes, with Mary Nighy, Anthony Byrne, and Alice Seabright also assuming helming duties. Keefe executive produces along with Lennox, Zetumer, Edward McDonnell, Monica Levinson, and Nina Jacobson & Brad Simpson of Color Force and FX Productions.

All nine episodes of Say Nothing will arrive as a binge on Hulu and the Hulu tile on Disney+ on Thursday, November 14, 2024, in the U.S. and on Disney+ everywhere else in the world on the same day.