‘The Control Room’: Iain De Caestecker & Joanna Vanderham Lead Cast Of New BBC Thriller

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The BBC has announced casting for a new three-part thriller ‘The Control Room‘, which sees Iain De Caestecker (‘Roadkill’, ‘Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D’) and Joanna Vanderham (‘Dancing On The Edge’, ‘The Go-Between’) take leading roles in the upcoming drama.

Set in Glasgow, the gripping new thriller tells the story of Gabe (De Caestecker), an ordinary man who works as an emergency call handler for the Strathclyde Ambulance Service in Glasgow. His world is turned upside down when he receives a desperate life-and-death call from a woman who appears to know him. With Gabe under pressure to work out who she is, he makes a decision that threatens to have devastating consequences.

“The Control Room is one of the most exciting scripts I’ve ever read, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time so I’m thrilled to now be bringing it to life,” commented Iain De Caestecker. “I’ve always loved working with the BBC and am especially delighted to be filming alongside this fantastic cast and crew in my hometown of Glasgow.”

The drama is written by BAFTA and RTS Award-winning writer Nick Leather (‘Mother’s Day’, ‘Murdered For Being Different’) and will be directed by the BAFTA and BIFA nominated Amy Neil (‘Trust Me’, ‘Hanna’). Hartswood Films produce the series.

“I am so excited for the opportunity to bring Nick Leather’s incredibly complex characters to life,” adds Joanna Vanderham. “Filming in my home country of Scotland is always special and my research for the character means I’ve been reminiscing about my own adolescence. The BBC create some of the best global programming there is and Amy Neil is going to add The Control Room to their exceptional catalogue. I can’t wait for people to see what we do!”

Alongside De Caestecker and Vanderham, the drama stars Sharon Rooney (‘My Mad Fat Diary’, ‘The Capture’, ‘Finding Alice’), Daniel Portman (‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Vigil’), Taj Atwal (‘The Syndicate’, ‘Line of Duty’) and Stuart Bowman (‘Bodyguard’, ‘Versailles’).

“Nick Leather has written a roller-coaster ride of a story that will thrill audiences with every twist and turn,” commented Elaine Cameron, Executive Producer for Hartswood Films. “We are delighted to have such a visionary director in Amy Neil she’s like a tiny Scottish female Hitchcock! As with many Hartswood dramas we are incredibly lucky to have attracted some amazing acting talent. Iain and Joanna are electrifying and are supported by a brilliant cast of Scottish actors.”

The Control Room is a three-part for BBC One and BBC iPlayer and will be executive produced by Elaine Cameron for Hartswood Films and Gaynor Holmes for the BBC. Eric Coulter (‘Bodyguard’, ‘Our Girl’, ‘Shetland’) is the producer and Amy Neil is directing. Filming is taking place in Glasgow and the surrounding areas and transmission details will follow in due course. The production will be distributed by All3 Media International and supported by Creative Scotland

“We’re delighted to be working with Hartswood on this exciting new show,” said Gaynor Holmes, Commissioning Editor for the BBC. “Nick’s beautiful scripts tell a truly unique story, full of passion, emotion and intrigue. I can’t wait to see them brought to life by this brilliantly talented cast and crew.”

‘The Control Room‘ does not yet have a premiere date, if you want to keep track of this, or any other show, you can add it via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.