Black Sails

The pirate adventures of Captain Flint and his men twenty years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Treasure Island.” Flint, the most brilliant and most feared pirate captain of his day, takes on a fast-talking young addition to his crew who goes by the name John Silver. Threatened with extinction on all sides, they fight for the survival of New Providence Island, the most notorious criminal haven of its day – a debauched paradise teeming with pirates, prostitutes, thieves and fortune seekers, a place defined by both its enlightened ideals and its stunning brutality.

Black Sails (2014-2017) is a American premium cable period drama created by Robert Levine and Jonathan E. Steinberg for STARZ. Toby Stephens plays the brilliant and feared pirate captain James Flint, and Luke Arnold plays the quick-talking young recruit John Silver, who joins his crew. Across four seasons and thirty-eight episodes, the engine of the series is survival: Flint and his men are threatened on every side as they fight to hold New Providence Island, a debauched criminal haven teeming with pirates, prostitutes, thieves and fortune seekers. Each season builds a serialized story of shifting alliances, colonial powers, rival captains and personal rivalries, with Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie and Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max adding political and romantic stakes. Set in the early eighteenth century Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, the show pairs swashbuckling action with a grimy, violent texture and a tense, morally complicated atmosphere. Its tones are brooding, intense and sardonic, and its themes center on liberty, power and the cost of ambition. Fans of Deadwood, Vikings and Pirates of the Caribbean will find resonance here, along with those who enjoy Treasure Island.

Viewers broadly acclaim Black Sails as a richly developed, politically layered pirate drama with strong character work and atmosphere, rated well across all four seasons.

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlshared swashbuckling pirate adventure with morally gray antiheroes and political intrigue
• Deadwoodshared prestige period drama with ensemble power struggles and violent historical texture
• Treasure Islandshared prequel-style reimagining of a classic adventure with morally complex characters
• Vikingsshared lavish period setting with factional scheming and brutal survival politics

Created by

Robert Levine, Jonathan E. Steinberg

Release Date

2014-01-25

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (1539)

What is Black Sails about?

Captain Flint and his fast-talking recruit John Silver fight to keep New Providence, a lawless pirate haven, alive during the Golden Age of Piracy.

What is Black Sails like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Sails as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.

Is Black Sails violent?

Yes. Ember rates the violence in Black Sails as brutal.

What did critics think of Black Sails?

Viewers broadly acclaim Black Sails as a richly developed, politically layered pirate drama with strong character work and atmosphere, rated well across all four seasons.

Which shows are like Black Sails?

Shows with a similar feel include Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Deadwood, Treasure Island, and Vikings.

How long is Black Sails?

Black Sails: 4 seasons, 38 episodes.

Is Black Sails still running?

No, Black Sails has ended.

Where can I watch Black Sails?

In United States, Black Sails streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Spectrum On Demand, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.