The Syndicate
TUESDAY 30 March, 9pm BBC1 Drama
The drama about lottery syndicates returns for a fourth series, with Neil Morrissey leading the cast as newsagent Frank, who checks the lottery ticket for the staff at Woodvale Kennels, only to discover they’ve won. But as the drama flits between Yorkshire and Monaco, all is not as it seems. Look out for famous faces such as Strictly’s Joe Sugg, Taj Atwal, Gaynor Faye, Kym Marsh, Emily Head, Katherine Rose Morley and Mark Benton.
Five young kennel workers have their world turned upside down when they win big on the lottery. But there’s just one problem – they have trouble getting their hands on the cash, and as they attempt to claim their prize, a game of cat-and-mouse ensues.
When the owners of Woodvale Kennels announce they’re selling the business to a large corporate chain, the staff – Keeley (Katherine Rose Morley), Jake (Kieran Urquhart), Colette (Emily Head), Roxy (Taj Atwal) and Gemma (Liberty Hobbs) – are devastated to learn that they may soon be out of a job. As their future is thrown in doubt, the weekly Mercury Millions lottery looks like the only lifeline to gambling addict Keeley. So, when she takes the syndicate’s lottery ticket to the local newsagent to check, charming Frank – who runs the shop with fiancée Cheryl (Gaynor Faye) – tells her she’s won... £500!
‘The minute you meet Frank, it’s obvious there are flaws; he’s a gambler and he’s the kind of guy who dyes his hair to appear a bit younger,’ says
Line of Duty’s
Neil Morrissey, who plays him.
‘Frank has an Irish wolfhound called Duke, who he absolutely adores, and it’s a love that is detrimental to his other relationships, particularly with Cheryl. Duke plays a huge part in Frank’s actions at the beginning of the drama.’
Jackpot joy
Keeley’s ecstatic about the win – but when the syndicate then discover Roxy’s numbers that week were alarmingly close to the winning lottery draw, they realise they may have won a LOT more than £500… a jackpot of £27 million!
The friends conclude that Frank must have made an error with their ticket – they just need to find him to sort everything out. But what if it wasn’t a mistake?
‘The Syndicate explores how a massive amount of money significantly changes people’s lives,’ says Neil. ‘An opportunity arises and Frank takes it – and it changes his life and the lives of those around him.’