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The BBC’s new crime drama This City Is Ours is set to start airing on Sunday 23 March and includes an electrifying cast lead by Sean Bean alongside James Nelson-Joyce, Jack McMullen, Laura Aikman and more
Fans of crime drama have a brand new series to get excited about – with Sean Bean leading the cast in new show This City Is Ours.
The series has been written by acclaimed screenwriter Stephen Butchard – who has been behind huge hits including the BAFTA nominated House of Saddam and the Netflix series The Last Kingdom. The series is also produced by Left Bank Pictures – the company behind smash hits including Strike Back, Outlander, and The Crown.
The new show was announced last year – with a stellar cast attached to take on a raft of roles. While the show is set in Liverpool, and was filmed there, other scenes were also set and filmed in Spain.
The show follows organised crime and all the drama that comes with it – and kicks off on the BBC on Sunday 23 March. Fans looking to watch the show should read on to learn about the cast, storyline, and how they can watch the series both online and via traditional viewing.
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What is This City Is Ours about?
New BBC drama This City Is Ours is a crime drama set in Liverpool and Spain. The new drama will consist of eight one hour episodes – with the first airing on Sunday 23 March, 2025 – with episodes directed by Saul Dibb, who worked on The Salisbury Poisonings and The Sixth Commandment, and John Hayes, who has previously worked on Nightsleeper, and Dublin Murders.
An official synopsis states: «This City is Ours is the story of Michael, a man who for all of his adult life has been involved in organised crime, working for his friend and the gang leader Ronnie. When Ronnie begins to hint at retirement, Michael too begins to imagine another life. Because, for the first time in his life, Michael is in love. For the first time in his life, he sees beyond the day-to-day, he sees a future: something to win and something to lose – Diana.
«This City is Ours is the story of Michael and Diana’s love affair, set against the disintegration of Michael’s crime gang. For years, together with Ronnie, Michael has successfully been bringing cocaine into the City and beyond, directly from Columbia; but when a shipment goes missing, he knows their Kingdom is under attack.
«This City is Ours explores what happens when Ronnie’s son Jamie decides he wants to inherit their kingdom and that there is no longer a place for Michael at the table. Both Michael and Jamie have bold ideas to modernise the gang and they will battle for control of it. But Michael’s biggest battle will be to save the woman he loves and the child he has always wanted. This is a story about family, and love destroyed and corrupted by ambition, pride and greed. It’s a story about power: what we will do to secure and keep it.»
Who is in the cast of This City Is Ours?
Sean Bean leads an impressive cast of This City Is Ours, playing a character called Ronnie Phelan. He is joined by James Nelson-Joyce, who has appeared in productions including Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant and the BBC crime thriller comedy The Outlaws – and he is playing the main character: Michael Kavanagh.
Hannah Onslow, who TV fans will recognise from This Is Going to Hurt, takes on the role of Diana, while a number of other performers take on roles within Ronnie’s family. Little Boy Blue actor Jack McMullen plays Jamie Phelan, The Bay actress Darci Shaw plays Melissa Phelan, and Shetland actress Julie Graham plays Elaine Phelan.
Laura Aikman, Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Stephen Walters are also in the cast as Rachel Duffy, Cheryl Crawford, and Davey Crawford respectively.
How can I watch This City Is Ours?
This City Is Ours begins airing on BBC One on Sunday 23 March at 9pm. Episodes will repeat on BBC Two at 2:05am, eight days after the original release. However, those that are too impatient to wait to watch the show during traditional airing hours can stream the series already via BBC iPlayer.
Actor James Nelson-Joyce said of the series: «It’s an absolute honour to be a part of this exciting show. I knew from reading the first episode that I had to take on this compelling story of crime, loyalty and above all, love.”
While Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: “It’s a joy to see cameras rolling on This City Is Ours with a glorious cast who have made Stephen Butchard’s sublime scripts even more exciting. Under the skilful direction of Saul Dibb, BBC viewers are in for one hell of a ride.”
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