The BBC has confirmed casting for its brand new legal drama ‘Counsels‘, with cameras already rolling in Glasgow. The eight-part series comes from Balloon Entertainment, co-created by Scottish writers Bryan Elsley (The Crow Road, Skins) and Gillian McCormack, a BBC Writers’ Drama Room graduate.
‘Counsels’ follows the lives of a group of twentysomething lawyers in Glasgow at the pivotal moment when their careers finally start to matter. Whether they are public prosecutors, slick commercial defenders, or the shabby but determined last chance for clients with nothing left to lose, each lawyer is out to win. They are colleagues, rivals, lovers and adversaries, juggling ambition and messy personal lives in a city about to test them all.
The young ensemble features Brandon Grace (My Lady Jane, Hamlet Hail to the Thief) as Jamie, Ro Kumar (Traces S2, Accidental Death of an Anarchist) as Bav, Eilidh Park (Wind of Change) as Nadine, George Prentice (The Pendragon Cycle) as Alasdair, Alyth Ross (Last Light, Dirty Angels) as Katie and Rebecca Bell (Outlander: Blood of My Blood) as Karina.
Joining them is an impressive roster of established talent, including Michelle Gomez (Doom Patrol, The Flight Attendant), Derek Riddell (Happy Valley, Industry), Laura Haddock (What It Feels Like For A Girl, The Recruit), Daniela Nardini (This Life, Sunset Song), Michael Nardone (Traces, The Night Manager), Sally Howitt (River City, Dinosaur), Stuart Bowman (Department Q, Only Child), Neshla Caplan (The Rig, Rebus) and Stephen Purdon (River City, Sweet Sixteen).
Speaking about the new series, Bryan Elsley commented:
“I am delighted to be leading with Gillian McCormack on Counsels. We look forward to introducing a galaxy of Scottish acting, writing and directing talent to our audience. Set entirely in Glasgow, we hope to bring the city vividly to life and fill it with arresting stories and characters.”
Gillian McCormack added:
“It’s been amazing to work with Bryan and see our incredible crew and phenomenal cast come together. Developing our characters and their worlds has been a brilliant experience and I can’t wait to share their stories set against the backdrop of the dynamic, exciting and contemporary city of Glasgow, of which I am hugely proud.”
BBC Scotland’s Head of Commissioning Louise Thornton said:
“We’re delighted to see the cameras start rolling on Counsels. Bryan and Gillian have created a wonderful world showcasing brilliant young lawyers whose professional and personal lives are as dramatic as the cases they represent. Counsels is part of the single biggest BBC investment in drama in Scotland for over a decade and we can’t wait for audiences to get to know these new exciting characters and to get caught up in their lives, loves and dramas.”
The series is being produced by Brian Kaczynski (Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, Mayflies) and directed by Lynsey Miller (Surface S2, The Turkish Detective) and Siri Rødnes (Shetland, River City). It will be distributed internationally by All3Media International, with ZDFneo already aboard as a co-production partner.
‘Counsels‘ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland in the UK. 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. Visit Never Miss.
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