BBC Announces Cast For ‘The Responder’ Starring Martin Freeman
The BBC has announced additional cast who are set to join Martin Freeman in the upcoming crime drama ‘The Responder‘, which holds a mirror up to the emotional extremes of life on the front line of British policing.
Written by ex-police officer Tony Schumacher, ‘The Responder’ follows Chris (Freeman), a crisis-stricken, morally compromised, unconventional urgent response officer tackling a series of night shifts on the beat in Liverpool. Whilst trying to keep his head above water both personally and professionally, Chris is forced to take on a new rookie partner Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo – ‘Timewasters’, ‘The Capture’). Both soon discover that survival in this high pressure, relentless, night-time world will depend on them either helping or destroying each other.
Joining Freeman and Adedayo are Ian Hart (‘Tin Star’, ‘The Last Kingdom’, ‘The Terror’), MyAnna Buring (‘The Salisbury Poisonings’, ‘The Witcher’, ‘Ripper Street’), Kerrie Hayes (‘Tin Star’, ‘The English Game’) and Warren Brown (‘Luther’, ‘Strike Back’). David Bradley (‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Doctor Who’, ‘The Strain’) and Rita Tushingham (‘The Pale Horse’, ‘In The Flesh’) will also take on roles alongside newcomers Josh Finan and Emily Fairn.
“I’m so incredibly fortunate to be writing for a cast as amazing as the one we’ve assembled for The Responder,” comments creator Tony Schumacher. “From legends at the top of their game, to young talents who are legends in waiting, it’s a writer’s dream come true.”
Tony Schumacher has an interesting and eclectic past. He’d always wanted to become a writer, but after leaving school at 16 with no qualifications, he worked as everything from a roofer to working on cruise ships, to even selling underpants, before returning to his home town of Liverpool to become a response policeman. However, eleven years later, after a breakdown and a period of homelessness, he found himself working as a night-time taxi driver on the streets of the city. It was only then he started to remember his dream, and began to write. Since then, he has published three well-received novels through HarperCollins, along with a number of self-published works. ‘The Responder’ marks his first original series for television.
“Finding an extraordinary new voice like Tony Schumacher’s doesn’t happen often, so we couldn’t be more excited to be bringing it to life on BBC One, and with Martin Freeman, one of the most exciting actors around,” adds Multi Bafta Award-winning and Emmy-nominated producer Laurence Bowen, Executive Producer for Dancing Ledge Productions. “Producing The Responder is a great privilege.”
The five-episode series is produced by Fremantle-backed Dancing Ledge Productions for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It is directed by Tim Mielants (‘The Terror’, ‘Legion’, ‘Peaky Blinders’) and produced by Rebecca Ferguson (‘The Trial Of Christine Keeler’, ‘Cold Feet’, ‘Next Of Kin’). Laurence Bowen and Chris Carey will executive produce for Dancing Ledge Productions and Mona Qureshi for BBC One.
“The Responder is a unique take on modern policing, and Tony Schumacher gives us in Chris a heartbreakingly honest portrait of a man coming undone by the pressures around him,” comments Mona Qureshi, Executive Producer for the BBC. “We’re so excited to see Martin Freeman in this extraordinary role and for Tim Mielants to bring the night streets of Liverpool to vivid life.”
‘The Responder’ has secured funding and support from the Liverpool Film Office through the LCR Production Fund. Fremantle is handling global distribution for the drama series.
Filming on ‘The Responder‘ will take place in and around Liverpool City Region soon.
