When is Anthony on TV? BBC One drama inspired by real-life case
The 90-minute film is inspired by the "unfulfilled dreams" of Anthony Walker, a schoolboy who was murdered in a racist attack.
Arriving on BBC One at the end of July is Anthony, a feature-length drama based on the death of Liverpool teenager Anthony Walker, who was killed in a racist attack on 29th July 2005.
The 90-minute film, starring Toheeb Jimoh as the murdered 18-year-old, tells the story of the life Anthony "could have lived" – who he could have married, friends he could have made and what kind of man he could have grown up to become.
Based on conversations between writer Jimmy McGovern and Anthony's mother Gee Walker, this BBC drama is a heartbreaking look at the life Anthony was robbed of.
Read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming television film Anthony.
When is Anthony on TV?
The 90-minute drama will air on Monday, 27th July at 8:30pm on BBC One. It was announced a little over a month earlier, on 15th June.
Who is in the cast of Anthony?
Leading the Anthony cast is rising star Toheeb Jimoh (The Power, Ted Lasso) who will play Anthony, while Rakie Ayola (Shetland, Noughts + Crosses) will portray Anthony's mother, Gee Walker.
Other cast members include Julia Brown (World on Fire), Bobby Schofield (Knightfall), Stephanie Hyam (Bodyguard), Shaniqua Okwok (Small Axe), and Robinah Kironde (The Widow).
Is there a trailer for Anthony?
The BBC released a trailer for Anthony on Friday 17th July, showing the portrayal of Anthony Walker's tragic death as well as "the life he could have lived".
What is Anthony about?
Multi-BAFTA winner Jimmy McGovern (Broken, Cracker) has developed a one-off drama about the life and unfulfilled dreams of Anthony Walker, a teenager and aspiring lawyer from Liverpool who was murdered in a racist attack on 29th July 2005 in Merseyside.
Anthony was 18 at the time of the attack, and in his second year of A-Levels, with hopes of studying law and visiting America.
The programme will depict what Anthony's life was and could have been, and was inspired by McGovern's conversations with Gee Walker, where she spoke about her son's "potentials and the many lives he would have impacted".
Gee said in a statement, "I went to Jimmy because I couldn't think of anyone more suited who could depict, highlight and draw attention to the hard messages of a life not lived - Anthony's unfilled dreams, his potentials and the many lives he would have impacted on - which now will never be realised."
McGovern added: "I'd known Gee Walker for many years and every time I had needed to write about loss or grief I had gone to her and she had always been generous with her time and her profound wisdom. But one day she came to me and asked me to write about her beloved Anthony.
"I said, 'Gee, if you're asking such a thing, I feel I have a God-given duty to do it.' And so I did it."
Lead actor Jimoh said of the role, “Anthony’s story is a painfully tragic one but it’s also full of hope, joy, promise and love.
“Jimmy’s script captures that perfectly. I hope this film will serve as a tribute to Anthony and I feel truly honoured to have been asked to play him.”
Follow the link for more on the Anthony true story that inspired the film.
The film is directed by Terry McDonough, whose previous credits include Cold Feet, An Adventure in Space and Time and The Street.
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