Sean Maguire to star in two part BBC Drama The 7.39

Former EastEnders and Grange Hill actor  -turned Hollywood star – Sean Maguire is to star in a two-part romantic drama from Carnival Films for BBC One.

The 7.39 is written by David Nicholls and starring alongside Sean Maguire are David Morrissey, Sheridan Smith and Olivia Colman.

Writer, David Nicholls says: “The 7.39 is a love story for grown-ups, the sort of drama that has not been seen on television for a while. I’m delighted to be writing for the BBC again and working with such a terrific cast and production team.”

Carl Matthews (Morrissey) is stuck. At the age of 45 his life has become routine. Every morning Carl fights his way onto the 7.39 train where he sees the same unhappy faces doing the same daily commute into Waterloo. Happily married to his best friend from college, Maggie (Colman), with whom he has two healthy, if sullen, teenage kids, life for Carl has become predictable.

Sally Thorn (Smith) has recently moved out of London, where she still works as the manager of a health club. But she’s unsure if she likes her new suburban life, or the prospect of marriage to Ryan (Maguire), a handsome personal trainer. Ryan is desperate to start a family, get married, settle down. Sally secretly wonders if he really is the man for her. Not that there’s much time to worry about these things, not while she’s running to catch the 7.39.

Over a fight for a seat Sally and Carl begin talking and suddenly their daily train journeys become a lot more interesting. The 7.39 is the story of how even the most predictable of lives can, in a fleeting moment, dramatically change course the beeb state.

Executive Producer, Sally Woodward Gentle, says: “We are excited to be involved in a project not just with David Nicholls but with the extraordinary talent of David Morrissey, Sheridan Smith, Olivia Colman and Sean Maguire. You couldn’t imagine a stronger team. With John Alexander directing and Lynn Horsford producing I think this could be a very magical love story.”

Carnival Films is a division of NBCUniversal International Television Production.

Fancy a flashback to Sean’s 1990s music career?…