JIMMY McGOVERN PENS NEW BBC ONE DRAMA ON GROOMING AND SEXUAL ABUSE

The BBC has announced an original new drama from the multi-award-winning screenwriter Jimmy McGovern (Time, Cracker, The Street) which will explore the impact of grooming and sexual abuse on one family.

Directed by Julia Ford (Showtrial, The Bay, Safe), the as-yet-untitled single drama will be made by LA Productions (Broken, Anthony, Care) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

Set and filmed in Liverpool, the fictional drama centres 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.

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).

Plus BAFTA-winner David Threlfall (Nightsleeper, Shameless, Housewife 49) and Mark Womack (The Responder, Playing the Field, Moving On). Further casting will be announced in due course.

Colin McKeown, executive producer for LA Productions says: “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.