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In the Beginning

Episode 1 of 6

Aziraphale and Crowley, of Heaven and Hell, do their part in raising the Antichrist in a balanced and human way. But, are they focusing efforts in the right direction?

Aziraphale and Crowley, representatives of Heaven and Hell respectively, are enjoying their cosy, comfortable lives here on earth - they have taken a liking to humanity and despite ostensibly representing the polar opposites of good and evil, have become firm friends. Their comfortable existence of sushi restaurants and vintage Chateauneuf du Pap is disrupted when Crowley is summoned by two demons, Hastur and Ligur, and presented with a newborn baby, the son of Satan, the Antichrist. Despite the best efforts of the Chattering Order of St Beryl, an order established solely to ensure the successful swap of the Antichrist with the son of an American diplomat, chaos ensues at their maternity ward.

Following the birth however, Armageddon now has a date - the Antichrist’s 11th birthday - when the armies of Heaven and Hell line up against each other and the final judgement will descend upon the human species. Aziraphale and Crowley vow to collaborate to ensure the Antichrist grows up in a way that means he can never decide between Good and Evil. That, they believe, would postpone the end of the world.

They each adopt a role in the Antichrist’s life – Aziraphale as saintly, friar-like Gardener, and Crowley, a devilish Nanny. Their endeavour however is in vain, as they discover to their horror at the child’s eleventh birthday party, when the Hell Hound expected to reach the Antichrist on this fails to appear. They have got the wrong boy.

In the present day, the Hell Hound has indeed reached its Master - the Antichrist - Adam Young, a charismatic 11-year-old who lives in Lower Tadfield, a small Oxfordshire village. Despite being the son of Satan and the harbinger of the Apocalypse, Adam has lived a perfectly normal life as the son of typical English parents, and as a result has no idea of his true powers, and the terrifying Hell Hound has been created as a lovable pup.

51 minutes

Last on

Wed 15 Jan 2020 21:00

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:08

    Queen

    Bohemian Rhapsody

  • 00:18

    Queen

    It's A Hard Life

Credits

Role Contributor
Aziraphale Michael Sheen
Composer David Arnold
Crowley David Tennant
Director Douglas Mackinnon
Voice of God Frances McDormand
Writer Neil Gaiman
Gabriel Jon Hamm
Arthur Young Daniel Mays
Deirdre Young Sian Brooke
Hastur Ned Dennehy
Ligur Ariyon Bakare
Thaddeus Dowling Nick Offerman
Beelzebub Anna Maxwell Martin
Sister Mary Loquacious Nina Sosanya
Archangel Michael Doon Mackichan
Adam Young Sam Taylor Buck
Eve Schelaine Bennett
Adam Anthony Kaye
Himself Paul Gambaccini
Freddie Mercury Ben Crowe
Sushi Chef Dai Tabuchi
Harriet Dowling Jill Winternitz
George Bush Alistair Findlay
Voice of George Bush Jim Meskimen
Mother Superior Susan Brown
Sister Theresa Maggie Service
Sister Grace Jasmine Hyde
Young Warlock Rocco Day
Disposable Demon Paul Adeyefa
Uriel Gloria Obianyo
Sandalphon Paul Chahidi
Warlock Samson Marraccino
Trixie Coco Winchester
Tarquin Oscar Farren
Himself Nicholas Parsons
Pepper Amma Ris
Brian Ilan Galkoff
Wensleydale Alfie Taylor

Broadcast