Channel 4 has a gripping new drama in the works from Sherlock creator Steven Moffat – and according to its leading star Rafe Spall, viewers are in for a "thrilling" watch.
The upcoming comedy drama, titled Number 10, is set in the titular building and follows the lives of those inside.
© Channel 4The show reunites Moffat with Doctor Who actress Jenna Coleman, who plays the Deputy Chief of Staff in the upcoming series. Coleman starred as the Doctor's companion, Clara Oswald, from seasons seven to nine of the BBC sci-fi drama, a time during which Moffat served as a head writer.
Keep reading to find out more about the show…
Why I'll be tuning in
If Moffat's previous works, including Sherlock and Doctor Who, are anything to go by, viewers can expect witty and sharp dialogue which seamlessly blends high drama with comedy. Plus, TV shows centred around the government provide the perfect environment for comedy dramas, blending high stakes political situations with moments of bureaucratic inefficiency and chaos. This won't be difficult for director Ben Palmer to pull off with his impressive list of comedy credits which include Douglas Is Cancelled and The Inbetweeners.
© Channel 4It's also hard not to get excited about the cast list, which is a brilliant mix of comedic and dramatic actors, including comedian Joe Wilkinson (Afterlife, Celebrity Traitors) and Laura Haddock (The Capture, Grace).
What is Number 10 about?
The upcoming series follows life at one of the most famous addresses in the world, with Rafe Spall (Trying, The English) starring as the Prime Minister, alongside Jenna Coleman (The Serpent, The Sandman) as Deputy Chief of Staff at Number 10 and Katherine Kelly (In Flight, Mr Bates vs The Post Office) as Chief of Staff.
© Jim SpellmanThe synopsis reads: "There's a Prime Minister in the attic, a coffee bar in the basement, and a wallpapered labyrinth of romance, crisis and heartbreak in-between. Set in the only terrace house in history with mice and a nuclear deterrent, it's the only knock-through in the world where a hangover can start a war.
"The government will be fictional and unspecific, but the problems will be real. We'll never know which party is in power, because once the whole world hits the fan it barely matters. This is a show about the building and everyone inside. Not just the Prime Minister upstairs, but the conspiracy theorist who runs the cafe three floors below, the man who repairs the lift that never works, the madly ambitious 'advisors' fighting for office space in cupboards. Oh, and of course, the cat."
© Getty ImagesIt concludes: "Number 10 is all of Britain in a house: it's British history under one roof. It's how we all got into the mess we’re in. It's also our only hope of getting out of it."
Leading man Spall described Moffat's writing as "sensational", adding: "I'm delighted to be playing the Prime Minister, in a funny, real and thrilling piece of TV."
Who else stars in the show?
Starring alongside the central trio, plus Laura Haddock and Joe Wilkinson, are Akshay Khanna (Murderbot, Critical Incident), Abigail Lawrie (No Escape, The Casual Vacancy), Jing Lusi (Red Eye, Crazy Rich Asians), Pierro Niel-Mee (Andor, Slow Horses), Rick Warden (Happy Valley, The Sixth Commandment), Robyn Cara (Trying, Rainmaker), Richard Rankin (Rebus, Outlander), Rhiannon Clements (The Power of Parker, Vera), Patrick Baladi (The Office, Line of Duty), Shaun Prendergast (Wicked, Industry), Harry Baxendale (The Radleys, Shadow and Bone), Alex Macqueen (The Feud, Seven Dials Mystery), Sid Sagar (The Batman, Slow Horses), Sam Alexander (The Jury; Murder Trial, Sister Boniface Mysteries) and Emer Kenny (Karen Pirie, The Curse).
© GettyMeet the production team
The series is produced by Hartswood Films (Sherlock, Inside Man), of which Moffat is Creative Director, and marks Moffat's first project for Channel 4.
The writer and executive producer said of the series: "I've been wanting to write about the mad house that runs the madhouse for years, and I’ve never had so much fun doing the research. Other nations are ruled from mighty palaces. Britain is run from a little brick street with a big black door. If you want to do a workplace comedy drama this one is the boss of them all. And what a cast. My old TARDIS friend, the brilliant Jenna Coleman, Katherine Kelly, who was so amazing in the Doctor Who spinoff, Class, and at long, long last I get to work with the incredible Rafe Spall and make him Prime Minister. Britain is in safe hands."
A release date has yet to be announced, but considering Channel 4 has only just revealed its casting, we could be looking at a mid to late 2026 release.
