Filming
begins on a major new conspiracy thriller by Paul Abbott for BBC
ONE
David Morrissey and John Simm star in State of Play,
a gripping conspiracy thriller set against the background of Whitehall
and Fleet Street, which has begun filming for BBC ONE in London
and Manchester, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning Jane Tranter
announced today.
Stephen
Collins (Morrissey) is a high-flying ambitious member of parliament
and Chairman of the Government's Energy Select Committee.
Cal
McAffrey (Simm) is a well-respected investigative journalist and
Stephen's ex-campaign manager.
When
Stephen's young research assistant Sonia falls to her death on the
London Underground, it's not long before revelations of their affair
hit the headlines.
Meanwhile
a suspected teenage drug dealer named Kelvin Stagg is found shot
dead. The discovery that Kelvin and Sonia shared a two-minute phone
call on the morning of their deaths draws Cal into an investigation
that's always one step ahead of the police.
But
friendships are tested and lives are put on the line as an intricate
web of lies unfolds.
David
Morrissey joins the cast fresh from his acclaimed performance in
Out of Control. His previous credits include Murder, Tony Marchant's
Holding On and Captain Correlli's Mandolin.
John
Simm is best-known for his leading roles in The Lakes and Crime
and Punishment.
State
of Play also stars Polly Walker, (soon to be seen on screen playing
Mary Archer in Jeffrey Archer - The Truth) as Anne Collins, Stephen's
wife and object of Cal's increasing affection; and Kelly Macdonald
(who has appeared in the hit films Gosford Park and Trainspotting)
as Della, Cal's outspoken young colleague.
The
series has been written by award-winning writer Paul Abbott who
has created many hit series including Clocking Off, Linda Green,
Touching Evil and Reckless and whose other writing credits include
Cracker.
He
says: "State of Play is really about government dancing too
close to the corporate devil. By creating the link between a rising
star of the government and a young journalist, it looks at the way
we're all fed information, the way it's laundered for mass consumption,
and how that translates once it makes the front page.
"I fell in love with the idea of watching a tiny piece of journalistic
gossip trigger an investigation that gradually unearths a scandal."
Jane
Tranter said: "State of Play is a major new drama commission
for BBC ONE next year and complements other signature dramas such
as Spooks, Clocking Off and Cutting It.
"Paul has created an intense, edgy story of deception, collusion
and death whose twists and turns will keep viewers on the edge of
their seats. "
Producer
Hilary Bevan Jones said: "This is a very human story which
also exposes the fall out such an investigation can have on the
innocent."
Directed
by David Yates, whose BAFTA award-winning production of The Way
We Live Now was one of the highlights of BBC ONE drama last year,
State of Play is an Endor production in association with the BBC.
The
producer is Hilary Bevan Jones and executive producers are Gareth
Neame and Laura Mackie.
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