Sky’s Heartwrenching New Drama, The Tattooist Of Auschwitz, Arrives This Week

2024 might be the year for great WWII TV dramas: we’ve already got Apple TV+’s highly anticipated Masters of the Air, with Paris set drama The New Look following in February – and Sky Atlantic is bringing new series The Tattooist of Auschwitz to our screens this week (2nd May, 2024).

Adapted from a novel of the same name, it looks like it’ll be an emotional watch, following the story of a Jewish prisoner in Nazi Germany’s most infamous concentration camp as he’s tasked to tattoo ID numbers onto other prisoners’ arms. If you’re a drama fan, you won’t want to miss it.

What is The Tattooist of Auschwitz about?

The new series, based on the acclaimed book by New Zealand writer Heather Morris, tells a poignant and absorbing story of survival in awful circumstances. The six-parter begins in 1942, as Lali Sokolov, a Jewish prisoner arrives at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration camp in occupied Poland. Sokolov is played by World on Fire and The Little Mermaid star Jonah Hauer-King and the prisoner quickly discovers the horrors within the camp.

As he fights to stay alive in the harsh conditions, he’s given the post of the camp’s tattooist, who is required to tattoo new arrivals for identification. It’s based on a true story, inspired by the real events that happened to Lali and his future wife Gita (Anna Próchniak), whom he meets during his time at Auschwitz.

While the series is mostly set in the Second World War era, Sky’s official synopsis reveals that it will also jump forward to when Lali is an old man, some six decades later, now widowed and being interviewed by the young writer Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey). The older Lali will be played by Hollywood veteran Harvey Keitel, as he revisits his memories of living in Auschwitz.

What else do we know and is there a release date?

The Tattooist of Auschwitz will also be starring German actor Jonas Nay, best known for his role in Deutschland 83, Avital Lvova (Daliland), Mili Eshet (Barren), Karin Ann (We’re Friends Right?) and Yali Topol Margalith (A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder).

While an official trailer has yet to be released, Sky has shown a first glimpse image, showing Lali talking to a woman presumably Gita, as well as the older Lali walking with Heather. The series will arrive 2nd May, on Sky Atlantic and NOW.