Attention, James Norton fans! The Happy Valley star’s gripping 2016 period drama, War & Peace, is currently trending on the free UK streaming service, U – and if you haven’t yet seen it, you’re in for a treat. 

Adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s classic 1869 novel, the BBC series follows the lives of three young Russian aristocrats as they experience love and loss during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.

It’s easy to see why this big-budget spectacle is capturing viewers all over again on U. Not only is the series based on legendary source material, but it also boasts a phenomenal ensemble cast, anchored by a standout performance from Paul Dano as the bumbling yet endearing Pierre Bezukhov.

Keep reading to find out more…

What is the story of War & Peace?

Set against the backdrop of Russia’s wars with Napoleon, the series centres around three Russian aristocrats: Pierre Bezukhov (Paul Dano), Prince Andrei Bolkonsky (James Norton) and Natasha Rostova (Lily James). 

Pierre is a “hot-headed” newcomer in society, who is “brimming with ideas but hopelessly lost as he seeks meaning in his life”. His friend, Andrei, is a “cynical prince who is sick of his stifling marriage and longs for glory on the field of battle.”

The synopsis continues: “Both their fates are bound to the beautiful, captivating and kindhearted Natasha Rostova (Lily James) – only a teenager when the series begins, but desperate to grow up and experience the world. Over eight years of peace and war that will change Russia and its people forever, we meet a vast cast of unforgettable characters, from peasants and soldiers to society hostesses and even Napoleon himself. 

“But again and again, through marriages and affairs, battlefields and ballrooms, births and deaths, we will keep returning to Pierre, Andrei and Natasha as they confront life’s great questions of love and destiny.”

Who stars in War & Peace?

The series boasts a seriously impressive cast, led by Paul Dano, James Norton and Lily James.

They’re joined by Tuppence Middleton as Hélène Kuragina, Callum Turner as Anatole Kuragin, Stephen Rea as Prince Vasily Kuragin, Jessie Buckley as Marya Bolkonskaya, Jim Broadbent as Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky, Jack Lowden as Nikolai Rostov, Aisling Loftus as Sonya Rostova and Adrian Edmondson as Count Ilya Rostov.

Tom Burke, Brian Cox and Gillian Anderson also star.

What have viewers said about the show? 

Viewers have hailed the series as “exciting”, “romantic” and “brilliant”.

Taking to social media, one viewer penned: “The 2016 version was very well done, beautiful sets, costumes, and music, I highly recommend if you haven’t seen it,” while another hailed it as “Absolutely magnificent, grandiose and just incredibly poignant and brilliant.”

Other War & Peace TV adaptations

The novel was adapted by the BBC back in 1972, with Anthony Hopkins cast as Pierre Bezukhov, alongside Morag Hood as Natasha Rostova and Alan Dobie as Andrei Bolkonsky.

The 20-part series was praised for its faithfulness to the book and impressive scale, while Anthony won a TV BAFTA for his performance.

War & Peace is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and U.

Shows to stream if you love War & Peace

• Jane Eyre (BBC, 2006) – Ruth Wilson stars in this brilliant adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel. When orphaned Jane Eyre finds employment as a governess at Thornfield Hall, she meets its brooding owner Mr Rochester (Toby Stephens). But their romance is threatened by a dark and dangerous secret. 

• North & South (BBC, 2004) – Richard Armitage plays the rugged John Thornton in the BBC’s 2004 adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1854 novel. When Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) is forced to move from her peaceful hamlet in the South of England to a smoky, industrial city in the north, she clashes with nouveau riche cotton mill owner John Thornton. 

• The Hollow Crown (BBC, 2012) – This acclaimed series adapts Shakespeare’s history plays, with the first season telling the stories of Richard II, Henry IV & Henry V while the second centres on Henry VI and Richard III. Ben Whishaw, Patrick Stewart, Tom Hiddleston, Julie Walters, Keeley Hawes, Andrew Scott and Judi Dench are among the star-studded cast.