Kaleidoscope on Netflix: what is the best order to watch series, how to watch show in UK, who is in the cast?

Netflix is trying something very different with its latest show, Kaleidoscope, which is centred on the largest heist ever attempted and the betrayal that surrounds it. Heist shows are ten a penny these days - Money Heist, Hatton Garden, and, of course, Heist. But what makes Kaleidoscope unique is that the show can be watched in any order you choose.

There are eight episodes in the series with some set before the heist, some which take place after the event, and one which is focused on the heist itself. However, as the story is non-linear the episodes can be watched in any possible order and the story will still be coherent.

Each episode is named after a colour - the episodes are titled: Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Red, Violent, White, Yellow. All episodes were released on Netflix at the same time, but they are not numbered.

What is the best order to watch Kaleidoscope episodes?

The episodes are listed on IMDB according to alphabetical order (BGOPRVWY), but on Netflix they are listed in a seemingly random order, though it appears that the order is the same across all accounts (YGBOVRPW).

The 50-second trailer, which is titled Black, explains to viewers that they can watch the show in whichever order they choose, ‘entering the crime at different moments in time’. Each episode will focus on a different aspect of the crime, from the planning stage, to the actual event, betrayal, and the aftermath.

You can choose to watch the series however you want and with eight episodes to choose from a quick bit of maths shows that there are exactly 40,320 different orders to watch the episodes in - if you watch them all and don’t repeat any.

Episodes Green and Violet are both flashbacks, Yellow sees the crew being assembled, Blue follows the planning of the heist, and Orange is set in the weeks before it takes place. White is the heist itself, and Red and Pink follow the aftermath of the event.

According to Netflix, you should end the show with White, the actual heist episode, however as the show has torn up the rulebook of storytelling there’s no need for you to follow their recommendation, and the story will still make sense if you watch White first, or at any other interval in the series.

According to The Guardian, the best order to watch the show is chronologically, following the order of the heist from inception to completion, to aftermath. This order - VGYOBWRP - maintains the narrative arc of the show and should provide a more satisfying viewing experience.

Who is in the cast of Kaleidoscope?

• Giancarlo Esposito as Leo Pap
• Rufus Sewell as Roger Salas
• Jai Courtney as Bob Goodwin
• Tati Gabrielle as Hannah Kim
• Paz Vega as Ava Mercer
• Rosaline Elbay as Judy Goodwin
• Peter Mark Kendall as Stan Loomis
• Niousha Noor as Nazan Abassi
• Sammy Peralta as Thiele’s Bodyguard
• Bubba Weiler as Samuel Toby
• Hemky Madera as Carlos
• Stacey Oristano as Barbara Loomis
• John Hans Tester as Stefan Thiele
• Soojeong Son as Liz Kim
• Jordan Mendoza as RJ Acosta
• Whit Washing as Ted Gough
• Nate Katsuki as Brad Salas

When is Kaleidoscope on Netflix?

There are eight episodes in the first season of Kaleidoscope and they were all released on Netflix on Wednesday 4 January.