The BBC's latest drama comes in the form of This Town, a thriller set in the Midlands during the 1980s and delves into the world of ska and two-tone music.
The six-parter, described as a "high-octane thriller and family saga", comes from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and boasts an impressive cast led by Michelle Dockery. Keep reading for all you need to know about the show, including its gripping plot, cast list, filming locations, and release schedule…
What is This Town about?
Set in 1980s Birmingham and Coventry in a world of "family ties, teenage kicks and the exhilarating music of a generation", the series tells the story of "a band's formation against a backdrop of violence, capturing how creative genius can emerge from a time of madness. Both a high octane thriller and a family saga," according to the synopsis.
© Banijay Rights/Kudos/Robert Viglasky"This Town opens in 1981 at a moment of huge social tensions and unrest. Against this backdrop, it tells the story of a group of young people fighting to choose their own paths in life, and each in need of the second chance that music offers."
Speaking about the plot, Steven said ahead of the premiere: "You might say it's about music or it's about people who are drawn to a certain type of music, but I've tried not to do that.
© Banijay Rights/Kudos/Robert Viglasky"I didn't really want to do a thing about people who form a band, which is part of what it is, I wanted to create a group people who have no choice other than to form a band because all the other options are so bleak."
Who stars in This Town? Meet the cast and characters
Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) stars as Estella, the mother of Bardon who is one of the group who set up the band.
Speaking about her character, whose husband Eamonn works for the IRA, Michelle said we find Estella living on the outside of the estate "in very bad conditions".
© BBC"For her, it feels like she is very much on the outskirts of her community, that she used to be part of," explained the star. "The relationship is very fractured between Eamonn and Bardon, and Estella misses her son very much because she doesn't spend much time with him, but across the series the music actually brings them together."
She's joined by Levi Brown (Loss and Return) as Dante, Ben Rose (Line of Duty) as Bardon, Eve Austin (You) as Jeannie, Freya Parks (Here We Go) as Fiona, and Jordan Bolger (The Woman King) as Gregory.
© Banijay Rights/Kudos,Robert ViglaskyAlso starring in the series are Nicholas Pinnock (Marcella) as Deuce, Peter McDonald (The Batman) as Eamonn Quinn, Shyvonne Ahmmad (Annika) as Matty, and David Dawson (My Policeman) as Robbie Carmen.
Where was This Town filmed? Discover filming locations
The show was filmed on location in the Birmingham area, and at creator Steven's new Digbeth Loc. Film and TV Studios.
© Banijay Rights/Kudos/Robert ViglaskyThis Town release date and episode schedule
All six episodes of This Town will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 31 March. The first episode will air the same day at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Episode two will be broadcast on Monday 1 April at 9pm, with the remaining four episodes airing weekly on Sunday nights.
