Time writer announces new BBC drama with Marcella and Line of Duty stars
The new Jimmy McGovern drama is positively star-studded.
Known for acclaimed series like Time, Cracker and The Street, screenwriter Jimmy McGovern is bringing us another gritty BBC drama which will focus on the impact of grooming and sexual abuse on one family.
As of now, the drama does not yet have a title but we do know that it will be one-off 90 minute episode which will be set and filmed in Liverpool.
Set to be directed by Julia Ford (Showtrial, The Bay) and made by LA Productions (Broken), the new drama will centre on the Mitchell family.
According to the synopsis, the Mitchell's "are dealing with the devastating aftermath of an act of abuse, and the knowledge that it was perpetrated by a member of their own family who, after serving his sentence, has just been released from prison".
It wouldn't quite be a McGovern drama without some major names attached to it and the cast for this new production are certainly starry, with the likes of Anna Friel (Marcella), Bobby Schofield (Time), Anna Maxwell Martin (Line of Duty), David Threlfall (Shameless) and Mark Womack (The Responder) all having been announced as the lead cast.
Further casting will be announced in due course, but it's safe to say that with names like those attached to the yet-to-be-named drama, we'd expect some pretty stellar performances to come.
Of course, the new project marks a reunion of sorts for Friel, who was actually nominated for her role in McGovern's Broken, which aired back in 2017 and also starred the likes of Sean Bean and Adrian Dunbar.
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On the announcement of the new production, McGovern said: “I can’t believe the cast and crew that have been assembled for this production. It’s a challenging film, yes, but I can’t wait for it to be shown.”
Similarly, executive producer for LA Productions, Colin McKeown, said: “This is a profoundly challenging and sensitive subject, tackled with intelligence and care by Jimmy McGovern.
"It’s a privilege to be working with him again following the success of our previous collaborations on single dramas: Common, Care, Reg and Anthony.”
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Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, also said: “Jimmy McGovern is one of our greatest dramatists, and a master at writing about today’s world. His new film sensitively examines the pain of abuse and how it affects not only the victim but ripples out across the whole family.
"To see it brought to the screen with such a high calibre cast and creative team is further testament to the quality of Jimmy’s writing."
As of now, a title, further cast and more plot details are yet to be revealed but we do know that when it is released, it will land on BBC One and iPlayer.
Check out more of our Drama 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
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
