We were in a little bit of a tizzy when we first announced Benedict Cumberbatch's starring role in the new miniseries Melrose (since changed to Patrick Melrose), imagining it to be a Melrose Place reboot. It's not, alas. But we're excited to see Cumberbatch in anything new, and this five-part series based on Edward St. Aubyn's semi-autobiographical novels, revolving around the protagonist Patrick Melrose, is no exception.

Melrose (Cumberbatch) is an aristocratic playboy who grew up privileged — at least that's how it appeared to onlookers — but struggles as an adult having suffered a traumatic childhood.

And now he has a female counterpart, with Allison Williams being cast in the forthcoming Showtime/Sky Atlantic co-production, reports Deadline. You may know Williams as Marnie from the HBO series Girls. Or, perhaps you caught her in the title role of 2014's Peter Pan Live! on NBC. She's set to take on the role of Marianne. We don't get a ton of details about her character, but we do know Marianne meets Melrose during his years in New York as he's really playboying it up.

Each episode covers just a few days in his life, and takes place in a different time period, ranging from the South of France in the 1960s to New York in the 1980s and Great Britain in the 2000s.

All that time jumping will no doubt provide a ton of fun for the production's costume department. Will we see Williams in pegged jeans and Cumberbatch donning a bomber jacket for the scenes set in 1980s New York? We hope so!

St. Aubyn's stories have been adapted by screenwriter David Nicholls (Far From the Madding Crowd), and filming starts this month. Ohter noteable cast members include Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hugo Weaving and Anna Madeley.

How do you think the two leads will do on-screen together?