Mr Bates star Will Mellor meets real-life victims in Surviving the Post Office
Mellor will meet the real-life Lee Castleton, who he played in Mr Bates vs the Post Office, in a new BBC documentary and podcast series.
After viewers saw him play subpostmaster Lee Castleton in Mr Bates vs The Post Office earlier this year, Will Mellor will now meet Castleton and other real-life subpostmasters in a new documentary and podcast series for the BBC.
The documentary and podcast, both called Surviving the Post Office, will see Mellor travelling to East Yorkshire to meet Castleton, as well as County Durham to meet former Post Office clerk Stephanie Gibson, hearing their stories and how they want to take back control of their lives.
He will then also travel to Lincolnshire, West Sussex and Cornwall to meet three more subpostmasters, exploring their financial losses but also how they are coping with their emotions, trying to move on and finding support in unexpected ways.
Mellor said in a statement: "I feel a real affinity with these families, so it was a privilege to hear their stories for this documentary and podcast.
"What shocked me most after meeting so many subpostmasters is just how far the impact and trauma has spread – the effect it's had on people's health, their children, and their whole communities has been massive."
Castleton tells Mellor in Surviving the Post Office: "I do have an anger at what happened, but I don't want to suffer for the rest of my life. I want to live a bit more and enjoy my life and the kids deserve to have their dad back fully."
The documentary will air tonight, Monday 22nd July, at 8:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, while the podcast series is already available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
Read more:
- Mr Bates star Will Mellor on justice for Post Office victims: "Talk's cheap"
- Mr Bates star Monica Dolan weighs in on "danger" of government's Post Office response
Surviving the Post Office isn't the only documentary about the scandal on the way following the ITV drama's release.
Later this year, ITV's Mr Bates vs The Post Office: The Impact will reveal the effect the four-part series has had on the lives of the subpostmasters it featured, and provide an insight into their ongoing struggle for justice and financial redress.
Producer of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Patrick Spence, previously told RadioTimes.com that while he couldn't imagine a sequel drama being made, he did think there was "an amazing documentary that could be made about this whole story and what's happened since".
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Surviving the Post Office will air at 8:30pm on Monday 22nd July on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Mr Bates vs The Post Office is available to watch on ITVX.
Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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.
