The Tunnel Renewed For 3rd & Final Season By Sky Atlantic!

Sky has today announced the commission of two Sky Original Productions, further reinforcing Sky Atlantic’s offering of new big screen drama every month.

From World Productions, the company behind award-winning Line of Duty, Gone is created and written by Lennie James (Critical, The Walking Dead) and directed by BAFTA winner Nick Murphy (Occupation, The Last Kingdom). James, who wrote award-winning drama Storm Damage, also stars in the series with BAFTA winner Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Scott & Bailey) and Stephen Graham (This is England, Boardwalk Empire).

Gone brings a unique and unlikely hero to Sky Atlantic in the form of Nelson ‘Nelly’ Rowe (James) – a man who ‘likes a drink’, whose days are bookended by his first can and his last pint. Nelly lives with whichever woman he happens to be sleeping with at the time – often more than one and sometimes more than two. And he is the life and soul of the pub – a charmer, a chancer, a fighter, a liar and, at his age, a man who should know better.

When Nelly is accused of a terrible crime, he sets off to clear his name and find the real perpetrator. It is a journey that will slam him hard up against the debris of his careless past but also offer him the chance to make amends for his mistakes, not least to Claire (Jones) with who he shared a ‘summer of love’ 13 years ago.

Set on a south east London housing estate, Gone is the story of a man facing the stark and painful reality that the very worst thing happening to someone he loves could be the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Sky Atlantic viewers can also look forward to The Tunnel: Vengeance; a third and final instalment of the much-loved crime thriller with Clémence Poésy and the International Emmy award-winning Stephen Dillane.

Following a critically acclaimed second series, the emotionally charged finale brings together the adored and unlikely Anglo-French duo Karl Roebuck (Dillane) and Elise Wassermann (Poésy) for their last outing. Another new and original story, this six part final instalment is penned by lead writer Emilia Di Girolamo (Law & Order: UK).

With Brexit a real possibility, The Tunnel: Vengeance is set in Europe amidst hysteria around a refugee crisis, the increasing threat and horror of terrorism and with far-right groups growing in power.

In this series we follow detectives Karl and Elise as they are faced with toxic and terrifying duo whose hideous crimes see them take ever more dark and desperate measures to provoke the police into collaborating on their desperate endgame. Against this, is the backdrop of Karl’s fractured family life and a miscarriage of justice from Elise’s past that shakes her to her core.

Head of drama for Sky, Anne Mensah, said: “I’m really excited about these two brilliant dramas coming exclusively to Sky Atlantic. The multi-talented Lennie James has mixed a gripping mystery with utterly unique characters. Gone exemplifies the originality we aim for on Sky Atlantic. In The Tunnel: Vengeance we return to our incomparable English and French detective duo, Karl and Elise, examining questions which politically couldn’t be more pertinent This final instalment will be the perfect ending to the emotional journey we’ve been on across three fantastic series!”

Stephen Dillane said: “It is strange that this is the last time we’ll work together as Karl and Elise. It’s been nothing but a pleasure to work with Clemence, who is both a lovely woman and a beautiful actress. I expect that Emilia and the team at Kudos have a suitably devastating finale up their sleeve.”

Clémence Poésy said: “This final, bone-chilling chapter in Elise and Karl’s story sees Elise make shocking discoveries that shake her to her very core. Playing a character as nuanced and complicated as she is has been the greatest privilege and saying goodbye to her and the wonderful synergy I share with the incredible Stephen Dillane will not be easy.”

The Tunnel: Vengeance is produced by Kudos, the makers of BAFTA award-winning Broadchurch and is executive produced by Manda Levin and Karen Wilson for Kudos. The producer is Toby Welch, and the series will be directed by Anders Engstrom and Giles Bannier. International distribution is to be handled by Endemol Shine International.

The Tunnel:Vengeance is commissioned by Sky’s director of programming for Sky entertainment UK & Ireland, Zai Bennett and Sky’s head of drama, Anne Mensah. (Sky)