‘This Town’: Steven Knight’s BBC Ska/Two Tone Drama Casts Michelle Dockery, Nicholas Pinnock, David Dawson & More
The BBC has announced the cast for ‘This Town‘, the story of an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music, from ‘Peaky Blinders’ & ‘SAS: Rogue Heroes’ creator Steven Knight.
‘This Town’ tells the story of an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music, which exploded from the grassroots of Coventry and Birmingham in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, uniting black, white and Asian youths.
“This is a project very close to my heart,” said Steven Knight, writer, creator and executive producer. “It’s about an era I lived through and know well and it involves characters who I feel I grew up with. It’s a love letter to Birmingham and Coventry but I hope people from all over the world will relate to it.”
Led by an exciting cast of rising talent, the six-part series will star Levi Brown (Loss and Return), Jordan Bolger (The Woman King, The Book of Boba Fett), Ben Rose (Line of Duty, The Innocents) and Eve Austin (You, Our Ladies) as its four young leads. Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey, Anatomy of a Scandal), Nicholas Pinnock (Life, Marcella), David Dawson (My Policeman, The Last Kingdom), Geraldine James (Back To Life, Anne with an E), Peter McDonald (The Batman, Dublin Murders), Freya Parks (The School of Good and Evil, Here We Go), Shyvonne Ahmmad (Annika, Karen Pirie), John Heffernan (Dracula, The Pursuit of Love), Stefan Asante-Boateng (Coronation Street, Suffering), Séainín Brennan (The Fall, Hidden), George Somner (This Is Going To Hurt, Sex Education) and Brendan Gibson (Peaky Blinders, Mr Selfridge) will also feature in the series.
“We cannot wait for this incredible cast to help bring the world that Steven has created in This Town to life,” adds Karen Wilson, exec producer and MD of Kudos. “The combination of powerful storytelling, gripping drama and brilliant music will make it a must-watch – audiences are in for a real treat!”
Both a high-octane thriller and a family saga, the drama opens in 1981 at a moment of huge social tensions and unrest. Against this backdrop, it tells the story of a group of young people fighting to choose their own paths in life, and each in need of the second chance that music offers.
“Steven’s scripts are absolutely brilliant – they capture the wild energy of youth and a pivotal moment in time, all set to a fantastic soundtrack, and we can’t wait to see this incredibly talented cast bring it all to life,” commented Jo McClellan, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor.
The series will be co-produced with Mercury Studios (part of the Universal Music Group) who will bring in an exciting range of high profile musical artists to help lay the backdrop for Knight’s incredible story. Acclaimed producer Dan Carey, and Brit and Mercury nominated musician, novelist and poet Kae Tempest, have written the songs performed by the band in the series.
“Ska music has such a huge impact on music and culture – in the ’80s and through to modern day – which is why the legendary Steven Knight, Kudos, BBC and Mercury Studios are the perfect combination to bring this vivid world to life,” said Alice Webb, Mercury Studios CEO and Co-President. “Expect fierce new music as well as serious homage to classics of the time. It’s going to be unstoppable.”
‘This Town’ is created, written and executive produced by Steven Knight. It is directed by Paul Whittington and produced by Charlotte Surtees. Executive Producers are Karen Wilson, Martin Haines and Katie McAleese for Kudos, and Jo McClellan for the BBC. Laura Conway (Kudos North), Matthew James Wilkinson (Stigma Films) and Nick Angel serve as Co-Executive Producers. Banijay Rights will handle international distribution for the series
“It is a privilege to be working intrinsically with Steven Knight and the Kudos team in bringing the musical narrative of This Town to life,” adds Marc Robinson, Co-President of Mercury Studios. “Music is at the heart of the series, and we are thrilled to be able to creatively engage artists and help tell the story through new and original recordings.”
‘This Town‘ does not have a premiere date, but 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.
