Casting has been announced for new BBC legal drama Counsels with filming underway in Glasgow.
The series is co-created by Scottish writers Bryan Elsley (The Crow Road, Skins) and BBC Writers’ Drama Room graduate Gillian McCormack.
Set in Glasgow, the eight-part series is made by Balloon Entertainment (Champion, Clique, Newark Newark) for BBCiPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland in association with All3Media International and in coproduction with ZDFneo.
Counsels follows the lives of a group of twentysomething lawyers in Glasgow in the crucial moment when a few years out of university their careers finally become serious. Working across the legal landscape, whether as public prosecutors, slick representatives of glossier commercial interests or the shabby and good-hearted last resort of those with nothing left to lose, each one of them is out to win. They are colleagues jostling for promotion, lovers trying to hold onto one another as ambitions accelerate and pure adversaries professionally and personally. And now’s the time things are going to catch fire.
The young lawyers are Jamie (Brandon Grace – My Lady Jane, Hamlet Hail to the Thief), Bav (Ro Kumar – Traces S2, Accidental Death of an Anarchist), Nadine (Eilidh Park – Wind of Change), Alasdair (George Prentice – The Pendragon Cycle), Katie (Alyth Ross – Last Light, Dirty Angels) and Karina (Rebecca Bell – Outlander: Blood of My Blood).
The ensemble is joined by established talent including Michelle Gomez (The Flight Attendant, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), 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 (Guilt, Department Q), Neshla Caplan (The Rig, Rebus) and Stephen Purdon (River City, Sweet Sixteen).
Bryan Elsley says: “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 adds: “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.”
Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning, BBC Scotland comments: “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.”
David Swetman, SVP Content and Commercial Strategy, All3Media International says: “We’re delighted to be working with Bryan Elsley and the talented team at Balloon Entertainment again on high-stakes legal drama COUNSELS. With its exciting young cast and dynamic writing from Bryan and Gillian McCormack it is sure to be an international success, as seen in ZDF’s early boarding as a key co-production partner.”
Counsels (8×60’) was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, and Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Scotland. It is co- created, written and executive produced by Bryan Elsley and Gillian McCormack, with further episodes written by Maryam Hamidi (Vigil) and Jingan Young (Red Eye). Gaynor Holmes and Stephanie Fyfe are Executive Producers for the BBC with Gavin Smith for BBC Scotland and Daniel Donnelly and Dave Evans for Balloon. The Producer is Brian Kaczynski (Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, Mayflies) and the Directors are Lynsey Miller (Surface S2, The Turkish Detective) and Siri Rødnes (Shetland, River City). The series will be distributed by Balloon Entertainment’s international partner All3Media International and is a coproduction with ZDFneo. Katharina Kremling is the Commissioning Editor for ZDFneo. Counsels is supported by Screen Scotland.
Image: BBC / Balloon Entertainment / Mark Mainz
Jon Creamer
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