A-List cast announced for new BBC drama California Avenue
The BBC has unveiled California Avenue, a new drama starring Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter, Erin Doherty and Tom Burke.
The BBC has unveiled California Avenue, a new drama series from BAFTA-winning writer and director Hugo Blick (The English, The Honourable Woman, Marion and Geoff), set to premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. This six-part drama features an all-star cast led by award-winning actors Bill Nighy (Living, About Time) and Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown, Nolly), alongside Erin Doherty (The Crown, Adolescence) and Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Souvenir). The series is produced by Drama Republic, the team behind One Day and Doctor Foster.
California Avenue is a tender and sharply observed story infused with humour and heart. Set in a quiet canal-side caravan park nestled in the lush English countryside, the calm is upended by the arrival of Lela (Erin Doherty) and her 11-year-old child, both fleeing their past and seeking sanctuary. In this tucked-away place, a long-fractured family begins to heal, buried traumas are finally confronted, and a surprising romance begins to blossom.
Bill Nighy and Helena Bonham Carter play Jerry and Eddie, Lela’s estranged parents, while Tom Burke takes on the role of Cooper, a charming outsider and showman. California Avenue marks the latest creative partnership between Hugo Blick, Drama Republic, Eight Rooks, and the BBC, following acclaimed titles such as The English, The Honourable Woman, and Black Earth Rising.
Writer, director and executive producer for Eight Rooks, Hugo Blick says: “Over the past few decades, whether through comedy, political dramas or even a western, I’ve looked to explore what television fiction can be. California Avenue is an exploration of the people who inspired me to want to do this.”
Executive producer and Drama Republic co-founder Greg Brenman, says: “In California Avenue, Hugo has conjured a world of precious relationships and unexpected revelations, all delivered with a big, big heart and generous humour. If you ever needed reminding of Hugo’s incredible range as a storyteller, look no further.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: "Hugo Blick has given us some of the finest television of the past three decades and it’s an honour to join forces with him alongside Bill, Helena, Erin, Tom and Drama Republic to take BBC viewers on the journey of a lifetime to 1970s California Avenue."
Filming begins later this summer in and around Hertfordshire and further casting will be announced in due course. California Avenue will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.