Maxine Peake to star in new BBC legal drama
Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones are to star in a new legal drama for the BBC.
Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones are to star in a new legal drama for the BBC, according to The Sun. The new six-part drama, called Silk, was described by an insider to the tabloid newspaper as having the “fun of Ally McBeal, but will be sophisticated and very dark”. Filming on the new legal drama is set to begin later this month according to the tabloid. The six-part drama will be titled Silk.
Previous legal dramas on the BBC in recent years include Judge John Deed which starred Martin Shaw but was cancelled in 2007 after six seasons. The series was often criticised for its poor plots and inaccurate storylines but at the time of its ending the corporation was planning on revamping the format before eventually cancelling it. New Street Law, which was created by the same team as Judge John Deed, ran for two seasons between 2006 and 2007 and starred John Hannah, Lisa Faulkner, Lara Cazalet and John Thomson but was cancelled because of low ratings.
Last year actress Maxine Peake starred in the second series of the BBC’s latest take on the legal system in Criminal Justice. The critically acclaimed and award winning drama follows, across five episodes, a criminal case as it goes through the various stages of the crime justice before ending up in court. Maxine Peake is probably still best remembered for her roles in Victoria Wood’s sitcom Dinnerladies and the Channel Four drama Shameless. Since quitting Shameless in 2007 Peake has appeared in a wide range of roles such as Little Dorrit, The Devil’s Whore, Hancock and Joan, Miss Marple and The Secret Diaries of Anne Lister.
Actor Rupert Penry-Jones will be remembered for his role Adam Carter in Spooks. The actor has also appeared in The 39 Steps, Burn Up and ITV’s critically acclaimed gritty drama Whitechapel. The first series was ITV’s highest rated new drama of 2009 and concentrated on a copycat Jack the Ripper killer. A second series was ordered which will air later this year and will focus on a Kray’s Brothers style storyline.