Two brand new original dramas coming exclusively to Sky Atlantic: Gone and a third series of The Tunnel
Two brand new original dramas coming exclusively to Sky Atlantic: Gone and a third series of The Tunnel
Thursday 19 January 2017
Sky has today announced the commission of two Sky Original Productions, further reinforcing Sky Atlantic’s offering of new big screen drama every month.
From World Productions, the company behind award-winning Line of Duty, Gone is created and written by Lennie James (Critical, The Walking Dead) and directed by BAFTA winner Nick Murphy (Occupation, The Last Kingdom). James, who wrote award-winning drama Storm Damage, also stars in the series with BAFTA winner Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Scott & Bailey) and Stephen Graham (This is England, Boardwalk Empire).
Gone brings a unique and unlikely hero to Sky Atlantic in the form of Nelson ‘Nelly’ Rowe (James) – a man who ‘likes a drink’, whose days are bookended by his first can and his last pint. Nelly lives with whichever woman he happens to be sleeping with at the time – often more than one and sometimes more than two. And he is the life and soul of the pub – a charmer, a chancer, a fighter, a liar and, at his age, a man who should know better.
When Nelly is accused of a terrible crime, he sets off to clear his name and find the real perpetrator. It is a journey that will slam him hard up against the debris of his careless past but also offer him the chance to make amends for his mistakes, not least to Claire (Jones) with who he shared a ‘summer of love’ 13 years ago.
Set on a south east London housing estate, Gone is the story of a man facing the stark and painful reality that the very worst thing happening to someone he loves could be the best thing that has ever happened to him.
Sky Atlantic viewers can also look forward to The Tunnel: Vengeance; a third and final instalment of the much-loved crime thriller with Clémence Poésy and the International Emmy award-winning Stephen Dillane.
Following a critically acclaimed second series, the emotionally charged finale brings together the adored and unlikely Anglo-French duo Karl Roebuck (Dillane) and Elise Wassermann (Poésy) for their last outing. Another new and original story, this six part final instalment is penned by lead writer Emilia Di Girolamo (Law & Order: UK).
With Brexit a real possibility, The Tunnel: Vengeance is set in Europe amidst hysteria around a refugee crisis, the increasing threat and horror of terrorism and with far-right groups growing in power.
In this series we follow detectives Karl and Elise as they are faced with toxic and terrifying duo whose hideous crimes see them take ever more dark and desperate measures to provoke the police into collaborating on their desperate endgame. Against this, is the backdrop of Karl’s fractured family life and a miscarriage of justice from Elise’s past that shakes her to her core.
Head of drama for Sky, Anne Mensah, said: “I’m really excited about these two brilliant dramas coming exclusively to Sky Atlantic. The multi-talented Lennie James has mixed a gripping mystery with utterly unique characters. Gone exemplifies the originality we aim for on Sky Atlantic. In The Tunnel: Vengeance we return to our incomparable English and French detective duo, Karl and Elise, examining questions which politically couldn’t be more pertinent This final instalment will be the perfect ending to the emotional journey we’ve been on across three fantastic series!”
Lennie James said: "Everyone knows someone like Nelly. He's the feller constantly at the end of the bar. The feller that can't help himself, never really grew up and has wasted who he could have been. They are usually the cautionary tale. They are almost never the hero. In Gone, Nelly might just be..."
Suranne Jones said: “I’m so thrilled to be part of Lennie’s unique creation. His writing is so compelling, his portrayal of the world so distinctive. It is completely different to anything I’ve done before.”
Stephen Dillane said: "It is strange that this is the last time we’ll work together as Karl and Elise. It’s been nothing but a pleasure to work with Clemence, who is both a lovely woman and a beautiful actress. I expect that Emilia and the team at Kudos have a suitably devastating finale up their sleeve.”
Clémence Poésy said: “This final, bone-chilling chapter in Elise and Karl’s story sees Elise make shocking discoveries that shake her to her very core. Playing a character as nuanced and complicated as she is has been the greatest privilege and saying goodbye to her and the wonderful synergy I share with the incredible Stephen Dillane will not be easy.”
Gone is produced by World Productions, the makers of RTS award-winning and BAFTA nominated Line of Duty. Executive producers for the series are Simon Heath and Jessica Sykes for World Productions. International distribution is to be handled by Sky Vision.
The Tunnel: Vengeance is produced by Kudos, the makers of BAFTA award-winning Broadchurch and is executive produced by Manda Levin and Karen Wilson for Kudos. The producer is Toby Welch, and the series will be directed by Anders Engstrom and Giles Bannier. International distribution is to be handled by Endemol Shine International.
Both Gone and The Tunnel:Vengeance are commissioned by Sky’s director of programming for Sky entertainment UK & Ireland, Zai Bennett and Sky’s head of drama, Anne Mensah.
For more information, please contact:
Alex Henderson
PR Manager
alex.henderson@sky.uk
07584 702801
Notes to Editors
About Sky
Sky is Europe’s leading entertainment company. The group serves 21 million customers across five countries: Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK and Ireland. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose. Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe’s leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of over £4.6 billion. The company employs 31,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY). For more information visit www.sky.com/corporate.
About Sky Vision
Sky Vision is the production and distribution arm of Sky. The distribution arm represents around 5,000 hours of quality primetime programming from Sky Original Productions and independent third party production, across all key primetime genres (drama, entertainment, factual entertainment and factual). The business also has equity investments in seven production businesses in the UK and US; Love Productions, Blast! Films, Sugar Films and Sky Vision Productions in the UK; and in the US, Jupiter Entertainment, Talos Films and Znak & Co.
In addition to its equity investments, Sky Vision works extensively with independent producers in the UK and US and has development deals with a number of production companies including Asylum Entertainment and Peacock Alley in North America; and Avanti Media, Bohemia, Chalkboard, LittleRock Pictures, Merman Films, Spring Films, and Roughcut TV in the UK.
About Kudos
Kudos is part of the Endemol Shine Group with forthcoming credits including Apple Tree Yard (BBC One), Broadchurch III (ITV), Troy: Fall of a City (BBC ONE), Man In An Orange Shirt (BBC ONE) & The Boy With The Top Knot (BBC TWO). Recent titles including Humans (Channel 4 / AMC), Grantchester (ITV), Flowers (Channel 4), River (BBC One) and Capital (BBC One).
