More Village life for BBC One

BBC One’s critically acclaimed epic Sunday night drama series starring Maxine Peake and John Simm will return with six more episodes next year.

Peter Moffat’s story charts the life and turbulent times of one English village across the whole of the 20th century. The camera never leaves the village. Births, deaths, love and betrayal, great political events, upheavals in national identity, ways of working, rules kept and rebellions made, sex, religion, class, the shaping of modern memory – all refracted through the lives of the villagers and the village.

Peter Moffat, creator and writer of The Village says: “I’m thrilled at the prospect of bringing to the screen the plans I’ve got for all these characters (and some new ones) as the life of the village moves away from the horror of war and into the roaring Twenties. Boom and bust, the Charleston and the Black Bottom, motor cars, extreme politics, fish and chips, jazz, bananas, cinema, the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of the middle classes – the outside world comes to the village, bringing with it the big drama that change always generates. I’m very grateful for the support the BBC have given this project right from the start. No other broadcaster I can think of would have the confidence to do it.”

One man, Bert Middleton, lives across the entire hundred years and his life story from boyhood to extreme old age provides the narrative backbone. His last great act of remembering is our way in to an examination of our recent past. The first series began in 1914.

John Griffin, Executive Producer says: “We are delighted with the success of The Village and the response we have had to such a beautiful authored piece from Peter Moffat. The cast have been extraordinary in what is very much an ensemble piece and we look forward to working with them again on series two. We have worked closely with the BBC to make this an event piece of television that belongs firmly in the BBC schedules, and look forward to continuing the story into the 1920s in a second series.”

Other cast in the series include former Hollyoaks and Upstairs Downstairs actor Nico Mirallegro and actress Emily Beecham of Afterlife and 28 Weeks Later.