New Jimmy McGovern drama to film across Liverpool

A new original drama from award-winning Liverpool screenwriter Jimmy McGovern and made by LA Productions will be filmed in the city, BBC has announced today.

The fictional drama will centre around the Mitchell family who are dealing with the devastating aftermath of an act of abuse, and the knowledge that it was perpetrated by a member of their own family who, after serving his sentence, has just been released from prison.

Directed by Julia Ford (Showtrial, The Bay, Safe), the as-yet-untitled single drama will be made by LA Productions for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, filming around Liverpool will be facilitated by Liverpool Film Office.

Emmy-winner Anna Friel (Marcella, Pushing Daisies), who was BAFTA-nominated for her previous work with Jimmy McGovern in Broken, leads the cast alongside Bobby Schofield (Time, Anne, SAS Rogue Heroes), BAFTA-winner Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, A Spy Among Friends, Poppy Shakespeare), BAFTA-winner David Threlfall (Nightsleeper, Shameless, Housewife 49) and Mark Womack (The Responder, Playing the Field, Moving On).

Colin McKeown, executive producer for LA Productions said: “This is a profoundly challenging and sensitive subject, tackled with intelligence and care by Jimmy McGovern. It’s a privilege to be working with him again following the success of our previous collaborations on single dramas: Common, Care, Reg and Anthony.”

Writer Jimmy McGovern says: “I can’t believe the cast and crew that have been assembled for this production. It’s a challenging film, yes, but I can’t wait for it to be shown.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “Jimmy McGovern is one of our greatest dramatists, and a master at writing about today’s world. His new film sensitively examines the pain of abuse and how it affects not only the victim but ripples out across the whole family. To see it brought to the screen with such a high calibre cast and creative team is further testament to the quality of Jimmy’s writing.”

The 90-minute drama will be produced by LA Productions for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. It is written by Jimmy McGovern, directed by Julia Ford, and produced by Donna Molloy. Executive producers are Jimmy McGovern, Colin McKeown for LA Productions, and Nawfal Faizullah and Katherine Bond for the BBC.

(Picture: Left to right – Anna Friel, Anna Maxwell Martin, Bobby Schofield, Mark Womack and David Threlfall)