Close To The Enemy writer Stephen Poliakoff’s new BBC drama has confirmed its main cast this week. Toby Stephens (Black Sails, Lost In Space), Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty), Linus Roache (Vikings) and Timothy Spall (Mr Turner) are all on board for the new Cold War drama, called Summer Of Rockets.
Production on the series is already underway in and around London and Oxford, and the Beeb has released some information about it.
Samuel (Stephens) is a 40 something Russian Jewish émigré, inventor and designer of bespoke hearing aids, whose clients include former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. The series follows Samuel and his family, wife Miriam and children Hannah and Sasha, as he is approached by MI5 to demonstrate his work.
Yet it is not his inventions the operatives require – instead Samuel is tasked with the secret mission of obtaining information about his charming, newly acquired friends Kathleen (Hawes) and her husband Richard Shaw MP (Roache) through whom Samuel also meets the impressive Lord Arthur Wallington (Spall). As Samuel’s life becomes more and more intertwined with his mission, how far is he willing to let things unravel for his cause? And who can he truly trust?
“It’s great to be working with Stephen Poliakoff again after such a long time,” remarked Toby Stephens. “I loved working with him on Perfect Strangers; he’s such a unique and original voice in British television. It’s also good to be filming something back home in the UK for the BBC. It’s been a while.”
Keeley Hawes added “I have wanted to work with Stephen for years, so I’m delighted to be part of such a wonderful cast, and can’t wait to spend the summer with them all.”
Summer Of Rockets will consist of 6 hour-long episodes when it arrives, but an air date has not yet been set.
More as we have it.