Here Are 13 Things You Should Know About Netflix's New Series "The Irregulars"

“Something has come to London, a darkness has entered the city.”

I don't know about you, but I am already in love with Netflix's brand new supernatural series, The Irregulars.

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The show follows five young adults as they attempt to solve increasingly paranormal mysteries for the famous sleuths, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

If you haven't heard much about the series yet, here are just a few things you might want to know. Be warned, 🚨 there are some MINOR spoilers (nothing big) ahead: 🚨

1. The series is set in Victorian London.

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As well as being a supernatural series, this is very much a period drama set during the Victorian era (1837-1901) in the bustling city of London – think Dickens meets Doctor Who!

2. It centres around a crime-fighting teen street gang called The Irregulars.

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Street orphans Bea, Jessie, Billy, and Spike, as well as the wayward Prince Leopold, form a reluctant amateur task force hired by Dr. Watson to investigate mysterious crimes and supernatural occurrences.

3. It is based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

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Although it incorporates two of Conan Doyle's most enduring and iconic literary creations – Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson – The Irregulars is actually inspired by a scruffy street gang who appear in two of the Sherlock Holmes novels and a short story.

In the books as in this series, the gang (known as The Baker Street Irregulars) run errands and track down information for Sherlock and Dr. Watson. Sherlock describes them as being able to "go everywhere and hear everything"; he also says they "are as sharp as needles."

4. In the show, Beatrice – or Bea – is the de facto leader of The Irregulars.

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Bea is a badass 17-year-old street urchin who lives in a poor district of London with his sister Jessie, and her friends Billy and Spike. She's intelligent, she's ballsy, and she'll do whatever it takes to protect her fragile younger sister.

5. Jessie is Bea's younger sister with mysterious psychic powers.

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At the start of the series, we're not sure if Jessie is simply delusional, or whether her immersive nightmares are more than just dreams. It's gradually revealed, however, that she has some sort of psychic ability to "see things others cannot".

6. At the beginning, no one quite knows what Jessie is capable of.

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At the start of the series, the gang – especially Bea and Spike – are worried about Jessie’s health since she claims to see monsters and ghosts just like her mother did before she died. Though her friends worry that she might be ill, Bea hopes that Dr. Watson and Sherlock might be able to help her understand what's going on with Jessie.

7. We don't properly meet Sherlock in the first couple of episodes, but we do meet Dr. Watson.

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When she encounters him in episode one, Dr. Watson reveals he has been watching Bea and her friends from the Baker Street residence he shares with Sherlock. Though he is rude and calculating, he manages to persuade Bea to find out information for him, and in doing so he creates The Irregulars.

8. Tough guy Billy has a thing for Bea.

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Billy and Bea are lifelong friends who met in The Workhouse when they were young. Billy harbours a secret crush on Bea, and he isn't too pleased when Prince Leopold shows up and catches her eye.

9. Speaking of Prince Leopold, the Queen's youngest son becomes the latest member of The Irregulars when he escapes the royal palace in search of adventure.

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Though Prince Leopold is confined to his bedroom on account of his ill health, he can't help but be curious about the world outside of the palace walls. A chance sighting of Bea inspires him to escape his palatial prison and go in search of his newfound crush. As a member of The Irregulars, he goes by Leo and keeps his real identity hidden.

10. Each episode focuses on a brand new monster, which Bea and her friends must investigate and ultimately thwart.

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As Dr. Watson explains to Bea, he and Sherlock tend to take on the bizarre cases that the police can't or won't investigate. To help him on the ground, Dr. Watson hires The Irregulars and together they encounter all manner of monsters and creepy ghouls including a killer nun, a "tooth fairy" who steals children's teeth, and a taxidermist who has begun trapping and skinning humans.

11. The series features a modern soundtrack and incorporates contemporary vernacular, whilst also having an old-timey visual style.

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It's like if Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street had been soundtracked to Hayley Kiyoko and Tove Lo, and used neologisms like "bellend" and "racist".

12. Series creator, producer, and writer, Tom Bidwell, was inspired by the The X-Files and Stephen King when coming up with The Irregulars.

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"I think Stephen King has that kind of 'characterfulness', weirdness, darkness but also the story is so important, it’s not just about shocking people – it’s about telling really good stories", said Tom in an interview with Netflix.

"I just really love the ‘monster a week’ format and I love the fact that we’ve been able to create eight small movies. I really want them to be talking points. When I was at school it would be 'oh, did you see this on The X-Files? ... You just really want to light a fire in the imagination of the audience and get them excited about it."

13. And finally, the series promises to explore the darker side of Sherlock Holmes.

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We sometimes think of Sherlock Holmes as a fastidious and dandy-like figure, solving crimes in neat ways and enjoying a lovely cup of English tea when he finally puts a case to rest. The Irregulars will tear up this idea of the legendary sleuth, and instead portray a more delinquent Sherlock, who is learning the hard way that he can’t escape his past choices about his personal responsibilities and relationships.

All eight episodes of The Irregulars are now streaming on Netflix! Let us know what you think about the series in the comments below.