BBC1, Kudos in Gunpowder plot

BBC1 in the UK has ordered a three-part 17th century thriller written by Ronan Bennett and starring Sherlock’s Mark Gatiss and Hollywood actor Liv Tyler.

Piers Wenger

Gunpowder has been developed by Ronan Bennett, Kit Harington and Daniel West, and is being produced by Endemol Shine Group-owned Kudos in association with Thriker Films.

The series will also star Harington (Game of Thrones) and Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake), and will be directed by J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed).

The 3×60′ show explores the attempt to blow up parliament more than 400 years ago, an event still marked in the UK on November 5 with bonfires and fireworks.

Kudos CEO Diederick Santer said: “The Gunpowder plot is one of the best-known stories in Britain and most people are aware of the basic facts. But what Ronan has achieved with his page-turning script, and what I hope Kit and Peter and the rest of the magnificent cast will do, is to take the BBC1 audience behind the story, into the people, the passion and the politics.

Santer added: “This will be a hugely engaging drama with a fascinating contemporary resonance, showing the consequences of what can happen when a religious minority is persecuted.”

Gunpowder has been commissioned by Charlotte Moore, director of content, and Piers Wenger, controller of drama commissioning at BBC1. Executive Producers are Ollie Madden for Kudos and Stephen Wright for the BBC. Harington and West are co-executive producers for Thriker Films. The series will be distributed by Endemol Shine International.