The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Screens set for thrills and raunchy scenes
A second series of a dark drama penned by Dundee writer and Bob Servant creator Neil Forsyth, Antiques Roadshow, a raunchy period piece, and an espionage thriller are among upcoming television highlights.
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V drama Guilt will be back for a new instalment following the success of the first series. The dark comedy-thriller, starring Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives, will be back with a four-part instalment on BBC2 and BBC Scotland next year.
The first series, penned by Dundee’s Neil Forsyth, featured Bonnar and Sives as brothers, united by guilt when they accidentally run over and kill an old man.
It is hoped that producers will be able to start filming the new series in Scotland this year.
BBC2 controller Patrick Holland said: “Neil Forsyth’s Guilt was a dark gem in last year’s schedules and I am delighted that the team are returning for a new series.
“It was a real treat to have Neil’s sharp writing and the wonderful performances, weaving a brilliant tale of lies, deception and skulduggery.”
Steve Carson, head of multi-platform commissioning, BBC Scotland, said: “With guilt finally catching up with the characters at the end of the last series, who knows what direction Neil will take them in the new series?”
All three seasons of the raunchy period drama Harlots will air on BBC2, it has been announced. The show, which has previously been available on Starzplay on Amazon Prime, stars Samantha Morton, Lesley Manville and Jessica Brown Findlay, with Liv Tyler joining in the second series.
Set in Georgian London and inspired by the stories of real women, the series follows
Morton’s Margaret Wells and her daughters, as she struggles to reconcile her roles as mother and brothel owner.
Manville plays Lydia Quigley, a rival madam with a ruthless streak who launches an attack on Margaret’s business.
Brown Findlay stars as Charlotte, Margaret’s eldest daughter and the city’s most coveted courtesan, who begins to grapple with her position in both society and her immediate family.
Sue Deeks, head of programme acquisition at the BBC, said: “Aided by a truly magnificent cast, Harlots brings 18th Century London to life with enormous style, wit, intelligence and humour.
“BBC viewers will become immersed in the gripping lives of businesswomen Margaret Wells and Lydia Quigley, as they make their way in London’s grimy, decadent underworld.”
The first two series will be aired back-to-back on BBC2 later this year and series three will air at a later date
Meanwhile Condor star Max Irons has revealed he was “sweating and shaking” when learning how to use a machine gun for the thriller series.
The 34-year-old is returning as CIA analyst Joe Turner in the second season of Condor, which is set in the world of international espionage.
Irons, son of actors Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack, had to become familiar with firearms to play a spy, and admitted he fears guns and found the training difficult.
He said: “I still don’t like guns, they really scare me. I guess that’s the normal reaction. When I was introduced to the guns, they send you to work with the guns specialist, who turned out to be a SWAT guy, ex-army and I’m telling you, his biceps were thicker than my head.
“He just looked grizzled, like he’d seen things. We walked into this room, and I’m not exaggerating, every square inch of wall space, three solid rooms, was just covered in machine guns, and they sort of hand you a machine gun, and I just started sweating and shaking.”
Irons added that because his character is an analyst rather than a field agent, it would be realistic for him to be apprehensive around guns.
He said: “Joe didn’t have kinetic training. He had a bit of it, but that’s not where his career took him. So I think if you can sense my discomfort, that’s probably OK in this case.”
Condor is based on the novel Six Days Of The Condor and its 1975 film adaptation, Three Days Of The Condor, which starred Robert Redford in the lead role.
Irons, whose other film roles include The Wife and Crooked House, said he had seen the original movie, but was wary of watching it again in case it changed his portrayal of Joe.
He said: “I think that sort of thing is not a wise move for an actor, because I think subconsciously you do start to emulate or question instinctive decisions you made – that isn’t particularly useful. It’s too many variables, it was different times, and it’s a different character.”
Condor 2 starts Wednesday July 15 on
Sky One and streaming service NOW TV.
Antiques Roadshow will also return this summer, but will be filmed on a closed set with a small invited audience, the BBC has said.
It will be the first time in more than 40 years that the programme will be filmed on a closed set, to allow for precautions against Covid-19.
Episodes are usually filmed as large open events at castles and stately homes.
Presenter Fiona Bruce and the team of experts will return and viewers are already being asked to contact the programme about their heirlooms.
Bruce said: “Normally we welcome around 5,000 people to each Antiques Roadshow, but of course in these extraordinary times we will have to do things very differently.
“We’ve come up with a new way to safely film the show yet still bring you amazing items and stories. I can’t wait to see what treasures you have hidden in your homes.”
Robert Murphy, series editor for BBC Studios, said: “To keep everybody safe and comply with current government and World Health Organization regulations we have planned our filming days very differently this year.
“We won’t be holding large open events, but we will be inviting people who have written in advance to attend.
“Our team of experts are looking forward to seeing your heirlooms and finds so do go to our website and let us know about your treasures.
“We could be inviting you on the show to find out if that mystery object that’s been gathering dust all these years is actually worth a fortune.”