Paul Abbott‘s RTS award-winning prime time drama NO OFFENCE starts shooting seven brand-new raucous and razor-sharp episodes for Channel 4 this month, it was announced today.
“No Offence is bold and rude but not crude. Dark certainly, but also – as you’d expect from Abbott – vibrant, warm, rich and real.” Guardian
The unorthodox crack team of gobby cops all return at full-throttle, headed up by the brilliant blonde bonce Spartacus warrior DI Viv Deering, (Joanna Scanlan – Fungus The Bogeyman, The Thick of It, Getting On), impulsive and street-smart DC Dinah Kowalska (Elaine Cassidy – The Paradise, Harper’s Island) and neurotic DS Joy Freers (Alexandra Roach – The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Hunderby). At their sides in the crumbling Friday Street cop-shop are: unshakeable DC Spike (Will Mellor – In The Club, Broadchurch), maverick Miller (Paul Ritter – Friday Night Dinner, Vera), cool PC Stuart (Tom Varey – The Village), calm PC Taz (Neet Mohan – Fresh Meat), mischievous PC Jonah (Ste Johnston – Fungus The Bogeyman) and the force of nature that is PC Tegan (Saira Choudhry – Hollyoaks), who all go above and beyond the call of duty to get the job done. Joining the team this season is the stern bigwig, fast tracker new boss, Detective Superintendent Christine Lickberg (Sarah Solemani – Him & Her, Bad Education) and office manager Gavin (Conor MacNeill – Whole Lotta Sole) – loved by the guys and hated by the girls on the team.
Paul Abbott says: “No Offence is a joy to come back to. The world seems a much safer place set against the organised chaos of inspector Viv Deering’s world. With the limited resources at her disposal in a community shredded by gang crime, Viv’s mantra for her staff: ‘The least you can do for me is your very best.’ And they will.
Series two will build on the celebration of teamwork in the British workplace. Against all odds and underfunding, Deering steers her humble team to high achievements.”
In an explosive start to the new series, Deering meets her opposite and equal in the charismatic Nora Attah (Rakie Ayola – Holby City, Dredd), matriarch of one of Manchester’s most feared crime families – The Attahs. Her volatile son Manni (Zachary Momoh – To Kill A Mockingbird) is her chief lieutenant. Viv is determined to broker peace, but after Nora unexpectedly orders a hit on the leader of a rival gang, Viv uncovers the true extent of her opponent’s empire. As retaliatory firebombs rain down, Viv and the Friday Street squad go all out to bring those responsible to justice and the battle for the streets of Manchester begins…
“Statistics are only scary till you can name nearly every one of ’em. Then it’s just a career, and a matter of finding a shovel big enough.” DI V. Deering.
Further casting includes: Patrick Bergin (Sleeping With The Enemy, Patriot Games) as gangster supremo Earl Kennedy; Jody Latham (Shameless, The Fixer), Charlie May-Clarke (South Riding, The Limehouse Golem), Keith Dunphy (The Hollow Crown, The Wind that Shakes the Barley), Orla O’Rourke (Calvary), Chook Sibtain (The Sarah Jane Adventures) and Zac Sutcliffe (Grimsby, Peter and Wendy) as the terrifying teen killer Kim Garvey.
And all the while, extraordinary crimes come crashing through the doors of Friday Street, from fraudulent crematorium owners to fake paramedics and vigilante dads, all delivering a serious mix of jet black comedy and gripping drama for another original, funny and surprising series of NO OFFENCE.
Series two – 7 x 60 minute episodes – will air on Channel 4 in Autumn 2016. (Source: Channel 4)
Stay tuned as we monitor the status of No Offence Series 3…
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