The BBC has announced casting and the start of production on ‘Crookhaven‘, a new eight-part family adventure drama starring Dougray Scott (Crime, Vigil) as the headmaster of a very unconventional boarding school, one that teaches the art of deception, not for crime, but to serve justice.
Commissioned by BBC Children’s & Education and produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions, Crookhaven is based on the bestselling book series by J.J. Arcanjo, which has now been translated into 20 languages worldwide.
Set at a secluded elite school for young criminal prodigies, the story follows Gabriel Avery (played by Lucas Leach – FBI International), a gifted pickpocket who is invited to join the secretive Crookhaven academy, where students are trained to refine their skills, not to break the law, but to bring balance, justice and order to the outside world. Dougray Scott stars as Caspian Lockett, the enigmatic and calculating headmaster of Crookhaven, with Claire Forlani (Meet Joe Black, Industry) playing his mysterious wife Carmen.
Speaking on the project, Dougray Scott said:
“I am thrilled to get started on this fantastic family drama. I am really looking forward to working with all of the extremely talented people on this production and bringing this role to life.”
Joining them is a strong cast of established and rising stars including Keith Allen (Marcella, Kingsman), Naomi Wirthner (Slow Horses, Alex Rider), and Genesis Lynea (Silent Witness, Death in Paradise), as well as a talented group of young actors portraying the elite student body, known as Crooklings.
Among the student cast are Carmel Laniado (The Witcher, Dolittle) as headmaster’s daughter Penelope, Amari Bacchus (Adolescence), Leila Khan (Heartstopper, Death in Paradise), Sani Thabo (Casualty), Tipper Seifert-Cleveland (Cruella, Game of Thrones), Aerona Shi (Goldie’s Oldies), Charlie Mann (Virdee), and Rowan McIntosh (The Chelsea Detective). Also appearing are Alex Mugnaioni (Mr Sloane) and Imran Yusuf (The Missing), with newcomers Dylan Ennis and Ezrae Maye playing key roles in the story.
The series follows Gabriel and Penelope as they compete for the coveted Crooked Cup, a prize awarded through a high-stakes inter-school contest between two factions: the “Merits,” selected for their natural talents, and the “Legacies,” students descended from generations of master thieves. But when a dangerous outside threat known only as The Nameless emerges, the stakes quickly become life-or-death.
Created for television by Justin Young (Death In Paradise, Sanditon, Dickensian), Crookhaven is a clever, high-energy mix of boarding school rivalry, covert missions, and character-driven drama, all set against the backdrop of a stunning Northern Ireland country estate.
Screenwriter Justin Young added:
“From the moment my daughters and I read the first Crookhaven book, I knew it had the potential to be a thrilling, timeless series for the whole family. Bringing the Crookhaven world to life has been a glorious adventure, and it’s both an honour and a thrill to be working with such an extraordinarily talented cast and crew — truly a dream mix of industry legends and dazzling new faces.”
The series is produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions with support from Northern Ireland Screen. Tali Walters serves as Creative Lead, with Mark Freeland (Dodger, The Wrong Mans) as Executive Producer, Jon East (Killing Eve, Downton Abbey) directing, and Leon McGeown-Fee (Hope Street, Dalgliesh) producing. It was commissioned by Sarah Muller for BBC Children’s, with Amy Buscombe serving as Commissioning Editor. International distribution is being handled by BBC Studios.
‘Crookhaven‘ will stream exclusively on BBC iPlayer in early 2026. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
