BBC One has released the first Vigil trailer and new photos from the upcoming thriller series from World Productions, the makers of Line of Duty, Bodyguard and The Pembrokeshire Murders. The Vigil trailer will air on BBC One tonight (Sunday) following the credits of the Line of Duty series six finale.
Vigil stars Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, Shaun Evans, Martin Compston and Paterson Joseph, and will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.
The mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on-board the submarine HMS Vigil bring the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services.
DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and DS Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) lead an investigation on land and at sea into a conspiracy that goes to the very heart of Britain’s national security.
Vigil‘s ensemble cast also features Anjli Mohindra, Connor Swindells, Adam James, Gary Lewis, Stephen Dillane, Lolita Chakrabarti, Daniel Portman, Lorne MacFadyen and Lauren Lyle.
The fictional six-part series is written and created by Bafta-nominated writer Tom Edge, with episodes by Ed Macdonald and Chandni Lakhani. It is directed by Bafta-winner James Strong, and Isabelle Sieb.
Vigil is produced by Angie Daniell, executive produced by Simon Heath and Jake Lushington for World Productions, Gaynor Holmes for the BBC, James Strong and Tom Edge.
The series is set and was filmed in Scotland, and is supported by the National Lottery through Screen Scotland. International distribution is handled by ITV Studios.
“Tom Edge has created a thrill of a story, set in a world I knew nothing about. The cast and crew World Productions have put together to tell this story is so exciting,” said Suranne Jones previously.
“Amy Silva is a brilliantly complex character, thrown into a highly charged situation where her authority is weakened. We watch as she navigates her own personal trauma and loss, all at a time when she’s questioning her relationships and life choices. It feels fresh and relevant and I can’t wait to start filming.”
Rose Leslie added: “I was weaned on BBC drama and it is thrilling to be back working at a place that feels like home with Tom Edge’s complex and gripping script. It will be a real honour to work with Suranne and I am looking forward to be filming back in Scotland.”
“I’m completely thrilled to be making this series with the talented people at World Productions and BBC Drama,” said Tom Edge.
He added: “The ‘Continuous At Sea Deterrent’, better known as ‘Trident’, has been a contentious part of national life for half a century now, a stock of nuclear missiles kept hundreds of feet below the sea surface. But this world has rarely been explored on screen.
“I can’t wait to take a BBC One audience down with us, into the pitch-black icy waters of the unseen Atlantic, where tomorrow’s geopolitical struggles are already being played out.”
Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, said: “Vigil is a fantastic, adrenalised thriller set in a shadowy world which has stakes for us all. We are delighted to be working again with World Productions and the exceptionally talented writer, Tom Edge to bring this exciting story to BBC One with an outstanding cast led by Suranne Jones.”
And Simon Heath, CEO and Creative Director, World Productions, commented: “We’re thrilled that the first drama out of our Scottish office is such a timely and gripping idea, brilliantly executed by Tom Edge. We couldn’t ask for a stronger cast, led by the brilliant Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie.”