Doctor Who star Jo Martin joins cast of Candice Carty-Williams' Champion
The Fugitive Doctor star joins Déja J Bowens and Malcolm Kamulete in the new BBC drama.
The cast list has been announced for author Candice Carty-Williams' first TV series, and it includes Doctor Who, His Dark Materials and Top Boy stars.
The eight-part drama series, titled Champion, will tell the story of rap sensation Bosco Champion, who is home from prison and ready to dominate the music industry. However, when his younger sister Vita’s own talent is discovered by Bosco’s rival, Bulla, it sets the siblings against one another, tearing the family apart.
The series is set to star Déja J Bowens as Vita and Malcolm Kamulete (Top Boy) as Bosco, while Jo Martin (Doctor Who), Nadine Marshall (Sherwood), Ray Fearon (Coronation Street) and Ray BLK will also star. It is currently in production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, while it will stream on Netflix globally.
A video casting announcement for the series has been released, while Carty-Williams said: "Champion is a celebration of Black music and of a Black family, however fragmented that family might be, and I can’t wait for the world to see their story."
She continued: "Since I knew what music was, I’ve loved grime and UK rap and neo-soul, to the point of obsession, and to bring to BBC One and iPlayer in the UK and Netflix globally a series that gives these genres of music life and texture is my dream, as is working with some of the best producers and songwriters making music today to create original tracks for the show."
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Carty-Williams is known for her best-selling novel Queenie, as well as her latest novel People Person, which was released earlier this year.
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Other stars announced to be appearing in the series include Kerim Hassan (Once Upon a Time in London), Adeyinka Akinrinade (Everything I Know About Love), Tom Forbes (Wolf Hall), Genesis Lynea (Silent Witness), Karl Collins (Hollyoaks), Francis Lovehall (Small Axe), Corey Weekes (Coronation Street) and Rachel Adedeji (Dreaming Whilst Black).
The drama has been called a "love letter to Black British music set in south London" and "a celebration of a sound that has long been the beating heart of our culture".
Champion will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Netflix internationally. Visit our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features, or take a look at our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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