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BBC has announced an original drama with huge Shameless and The Responder stars.

The new drama will be about the impact of grooming and sexual abuse on one family.

The new drama will address the impact of grooming and sexual abuse
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The new drama will address the impact of grooming and sexual abuseCredit: Getty
Shameless star David Threlfall leads the cast
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Shameless star David Threlfall leads the castCredit: Getty
Along with The Responder star Mark Womack who has also joined
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Along with The Responder star Mark Womack who has also joinedCredit: ITV

Set and filmed in Liverpool, the fictional drama follows the Mitchell family as they grapple with the devastating aftermath of an act of abuse.

It was committed by a family member who has just been released from prison after serving his sentence.

BAFTA-winner David Threlfall will star in the new drama.

He was previously in Shameless, Nightsleeper and Housewife 4.

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Emmerdale star Mark Womack - who played DI Mark Malone - is also in the cast.

His previous appearances include gritty police drama The Responder, Playing the Field, Moving On.

They will be joined by Emmy-winner Anna Friel (from Marcella, Pushing Daisies) and Bobby Schofield (from Time, Anne, SAS Rogue Heroes).

And BAFTA-winner Anna Maxwell Martin (from Motherland, A Spy Among Friends, Poppy Shakespeare) will make an appearance.

Colin McKeown, executive producer for LA Productions said: “This is a profoundly challenging and sensitive subject, tackled with intelligence and care by Jimmy McGovern.

"It’s a privilege to be working with him again following the success of our previous collaborations on single dramas: Common, Care, Reg and Anthony.”

Writer Jimmy McGovern said: "I can’t believe the cast and crew that have been assembled for this production. It’s a challenging film, yes, but I can’t wait for it to be shown."

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Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said: "Jimmy McGovern is one of our greatest dramatists, and a master at writing about today’s world.

"His new film sensitively examines the pain of abuse and how it affects not only the victim but ripples out across the whole family.

"To see it brought to the screen with such a high calibre cast and creative team is further testament to the quality of Jimmy’s writing."

The drama is written by the multi-award-winning screenwriter Jimmy McGovern, who also wrote Time, Cracker and The Street.

BBC crime dramas

The BBC is reopening case files on an all-star line-up of crime dramas this summer.

Here's a refresher on the popular programmes which span six decades.

  • Campion: Aired from 1989 to 1990, this detective drama series was adapted from novels by Margery Allingham and stars Peter Davison.
  • Dalziel And Pascoe: A gritty detective drama series about a mismatched pair of policemen, based on the award-winning books by Reginald Hill. Aired from 1996 to 2007.
  • Death In Paradise: A misanthropic detective inspector is assigned to a Caribbean island against his will. Premiered in 2011 and is still on air to this day.
  • Happy Valley: Created by Sally Wainwright, this northern noir follows Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Catherine Cawood – tough, defiant and facing her traumatic past.
  • Hinterland: Welsh drama starring Richard Harrington. Brooding DCI Tom Mathias uncovers secrets – and links to his troubled past amid mountainous terrain and close-knit villages. Aired from 2013 to 2016.
  • Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Based on the novels of Elizabeth George, this drama series is about upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley and working class DS Barbara Havers. Aired from 2001 to 2007.
  • Jonathan Creek: Starring comedian Alan Davies, this comedy-drama series follows a inventor of magic tricks who is often called in to solve puzzling murders. Aired from 1997 to 2016.
  • Law & Order: Originally broadcast in 1978, this four-part drama series is about the British judicial system. Stars include Peter Dean and Derek Martin.
  • Life On Mars: Beguiling science-fiction police drama following a Manchester policeman who travels back to 1973 following a car accident. Stars John Simm and Philip Glenister. Aired from 2006 to 2007.
  • Luther: Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther. Aired from 2010 to 2019, with a follow-up film released in 2023.
  • Shetland: Detective drama starring Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O'Donnell, showcasing the dark side of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Premiered in 2013 and is still on air to this day.
  • The Cops: Set in the fictional northern town of Stanton, this acclaimed, provocative police drama stars Katy Cavanagh, Rob Dixon and John Henshaw. Aired from 1998 to 2001.
  • Waking The Dead: With a cast including Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston and Wil Johnson, this series follows a cold case team who unearths sleeping secrets, but sometimes the past is best left buried. Aired from 2000 to 2011.
  • Wallander: Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, Kurt Wallander is unable to unsee the dark crimes he's tasked to investigate while Wallander's job comes at a cost to his family and relationships. Aired from 2008 to 2016.

He was particularly known for writing powerful and thought-provoking dramas often based around hard-hitting social issues or controversial real-life events.

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His most celebrated work included Brookside, the drama serial Cracker about the work of a criminal psychologist, the drama serial The Lakes, Hillsborough and Sunday.

It will be directed by Julia Ford, who also did Showtrial, The Bay and Safe.

Emmy-winner Anna Friel has joined the cast
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Emmy-winner Anna Friel has joined the castCredit: Getty
The new series will be written by award-winning English television scriptwriter Jimmy McGovern
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The new series will be written by award-winning English television scriptwriter Jimmy McGovernCredit: Getty
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