Our Friends in the North writer revives series for BBC Radio 4
The classic 1996 drama will return as a 10-part audio production.
The BBC has announced the return of acclaimed 1996 series Our Friends in the North - but not as you know it.
The hit series' creator Peter Flannery has rewritten the nine-episode series as an audio drama for BBC Radio 4, with a new 10th episode to be written by Adam Usden, which will bring the story to modern times. It is set to begin on 17th March at 2:15pm.
Our Friends in the North originally covered three decades, four friends and the world that shaped their lives, beginning in 1964 and ending in 1995.
Broadcast on BBC Two in 1996, it gave breakout roles to Bond actor Daniel Craig, Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston, Line of Duty's Gina McKee and Temple actor Mark Strong, all of whom were up-and-coming actors at the time.
The roles have been recast for the new audio drama, with the hope of finding the A-listers of tomorrow once again. Stepping into the roles of Nicky, Mary, Tosker and Geordie are James Baxter (Alma’s Not Normal), Norah Lopez Holden, Philip Correia and Luke MacGregor (The Archers) respectively.
Meanwhile original cast members Tracey Wilkinson and Trevor Fox will be back for Radio 4’s version, but they will be in new roles, and Tom Goodman-Hill, Eve Shotton, James Gaddas, Tony Hirst, Des Yankson and Maanuv Thiara also join for this new series.
Of the audio revival, Peter Flannery said: “You can tell any story you want to if the characters are interesting. The personal and the political are connected. It’s all one world.”
The drama will once again chart the decades as it explores corporate, political and police corruption in the 1960s, the rise and fall of the Soho porn empires in the 1970s, the nouveau riche and the Miners’ Strike of the 1980s and the rise of New Labour in the 1990s.
However, the new 10th episode will see the drama shifted forward to 2020, as Manchester-born writer Adam Usden picks up with the characters to tackle topics such as housing conditions, young people’s engagement with politics and father/son relationships.
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Usden explained that what drew him to the series was how "defiantly, wonderfully unsentimental" it was.
"One of the things I loved was that even when people failed in the immediate moment, very often we saw how flashes of kindness, warmth and moral courage redeem them in surprising ways, sometimes decades later, even if the people never realised the impact their actions had on others,” he said.
Our Friends in the North begins on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds at 2:15pm on Thursday 17th March. Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
