David Harewood OBE (Sherwood, Homeland) has landed the title role in ‘Pierre‘, a new legal drama for Channel 4 about a West London duty solicitor co-written by BAFTA-winning screenwriter, Roy Williams OBE (Soon Gone: The Windrush Chronicles, Fallout) and BAFTA-nominated writer John Donnelly (Summerwater, Utopia).
West London duty solicitor Pierre (Harewood) is a force of nature: charming and funny, a glamorous character in an unglamorous profession, juggling the pressures of his job, a fragile personal life and just keeping his head above water financially. His resilience is tested when he begins investigating the suspicious death of a young black client, Michael. As Pierre challenges the police’s portrayal of Michael as a criminal, he unravels a chilling web of institutional corruption… When you come at the system, the system comes at you…
This contemporary legal drama will follow Pierre as he risks everything – his career, his family, and his sense of self – to expose the truth. Each episode will also feature individual legal stories with unexpected twists that push Pierre and his team to their limits. Against the backdrop of legal aid cuts, the practice struggles to survive, often bending the law to fight for their clients’ rights.
“I’m extremely delighted to be taking the title role in Pierre,” said Harewood. “He’s such a wonderfully well-painted character, beautifully crafted by Roy and John and I cannot wait to get into his shoes. He is bright, flawed, and passionate about his work and I’m really hoping audiences find him as appealing as I do on the page.”
John Donnelly and Roy Williams, co-writers, add, “Duty solicitors are the unsung heroes of the legal profession. Overworked, underpaid. They can be called out anytime, never knowing who or what lies in store for them. They are full of stories, it’s a thrill to tell them.”
‘Pierre’ was commissioned for Channel 4 by Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama and Gwawr Lloyd, Commissioning Editor, Drama. It will be produced by The Lighthouse and executive producers are Hilary Salmon, John Donnelly, Roy Williams and David Harewood. The producer is Jo Johnson. International distribution of the series will be handled by Sphere Abacus.
“When we read Roy and John’s pilot for Pierre, we were immediately taken with its wit, humanity, and gripping, authentic storytelling,” commented Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama. “The nuanced characterisation jumped off the page, and we think the show heralds an iconic new character in Pierre. With David Harewood set to play that role, the deal was sealed. We couldn’t be more excited to be backing Roy, John, Hilary and David on this unique show.”
‘Pierre‘ does not have a premiere date yet, but will air on Channel 4 in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
