The Responder creator Tony Schumacher has landed his next project, a BBC series from Element Pictures about two people robbing from the same Liverpool casino and the collision course this sets off.
Michael Socha (The Gallows Pole) and Sheridan Smith (The C Word) are leading The Cage as Matty and Leanne, who quickly get in trouble with the local gangster and the police, as the five-parter turns into a high-stakes, high energy crime story set in Liverpool. The show is the second BBC thriller project set in Liverpool this year following Left Bank’s This City is Ours, which launched last night.
Schumacher is a former policeman who created The Responder, the Martin Freeman-starring police drama that has been critically lauded. On that show he worked with Dancing Ledge but The Cage will be produced by Normal People maker Element Pictures.
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Schumacher said: “Coming back to the BBC with my second major show and being able to work with such talents as Sheridan, Michael and the teams at Element Pictures and the BBC is such an honour. On top of that, having a director of Al’s calibre really is the cherry on the big Liverpool drama cake we’re baking together.” Director is Al Mackay, who was behind Without Sin and Kidnapped.
The Cage was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. Hilary Martin serves as executive producer for Fremantle, Christopher Aird, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures alongside Schumacher and Smith. Lucy Richer serves as executive producer for the BBC and Clare Shepherd will produce. Global sales will be handled by Fremantle.
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