The Third and Final Season on BBC with a Fitting Tribute
By Morgan Cormack | Radio Times | December 19, 2022
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 09: Helen McCrory attends the UK Premiere of “Loving Vincent” during the 61st BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage)
The third and final season of His Dark Materials arrived on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this past weekend – and it kicked off with a very fitting tribute to one of its late actors.
Helen McCrory, who was perhaps best known for her role as Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders and Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, voiced the character of Lord Asriel’s daemon Stelmaria in the hit BBC fantasy series. The actor passed away in 2021 at the age of 52 after a battle with cancer.
At the end of season 3‘s premiere episode, which aired on Sunday 18th December, the end credits rolled, reading: “In memory of Helen McCrory, OBE
The role of Stelmaria was recast for season 3, with The Crown’s Victoria Hamilton voicing the character for the remaining eight episodes.
Many fans took to Twitter to comment on the tribute. One viewer wrote: “Lovely tribute to Helen McCrory tonight. Go well in the next world Helen,” while another (below) stated it was an “absolutely fitting tribute”.
It’s been nearly two years since His Dark Materials was last seen on our screens and this time round, the events that unfold in season 3 are based on The Amber Spyglass, the third book in Philip Pullman’s trilogy.
The new season brings the story of Lyra (Dafne Keen) and Will (Amir Wilson) to a climax, as the duo help James McAvoy’s Lord Asriel in an epic battle against antagonist the Authority.
The new season is set to be “definitely sort of the most ambitious,” according to Mrs Coulter star Ruth Wilson.
Similarly, McAvoy has stated that there will be a lot to look forward to in season 3, promising “a lot of fisticuffs and a lot of explosions” in the “down and dirty” action for this season.
At a recent Q&A ahead of the series’s final season, producer Jane Tranter revealed that the team behind the show would also love to adapt Pullman’s Book of Dust trilogy.
His Dark Materials season 3 airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 18th December.