Michelle Dockery, best known for her role in the hit BBC series Downton Abbey, has signed on to star in the BBC drama This Town, from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Paul Whittington (The Crown) is directing. The show is a six-part epic drama described as a high-octane thriller and Knight’s most personal drama yet.
Dockery joins previously announced cast members Nicholas Pinnock (Life), David Dawson (My Policeman), Levi Brown (Loss and Return), Jordan Bolger (The Woman King), Ben Rose (The Innocents), and Eve Austin (You), as well as Geraldine James (Anne with an E), Peter McDonald (The Batman), Freya Parks (The School of Good and Evil), Shyvonne Ahmmad (Annika), John Heffernan (Dracula), Stefan Asante-Boateng (Coronation Street), Séainín Brennan (The Fall), George Somner (Sex Education), and Brendan Gibson (Peaky Blinders).
The synopsis reads:
“The series 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. It is expected to open 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.”
This sounds excellent. I love all the talent involved, and I have loved many of the projects that Dockery has done since the initial run of Downton, like Defending Jacob and The Gentlemen. I think this will be a solid series, and I look forward to checking it out. This Town has started production in Birmingham. We will keep you posted on the date when it’s announced.