Gunpowder: teaser

BBC has released a teaser for Gunpowder, the new period drama starring Kit Harrington.

The 3 part thriller about the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605 will also feature Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock), and Liv Tyler (Lord Of The Rings).

An Australian broadcaster is yet to be confirmed, but it is likely to be BBC First.

Catesby is a committed Catholic at a time when Protestant England persecutes Catholics relentlessly. The authorities directed by King James’s spymaster in Chief Robert Cecil (Gatiss), hunt down, torture and execute priests while lay Catholics are subject to oppression and the loss of their property. They must practice their religion in secret, risking imprisonment, fines, harassment and even death.

Catesby’s refusal to abandon his religion has brought him to the edge of financial, social and psychological ruin. His wife and father have both recently died, leaving him to bring up a young son in an increasingly hostile world. Unable to stand by while his coreligionists suffer, and despite the peaceful protestations of head Jesuit Father Garnet (Mullan), doing nothing is not an option for a man like Catesby. He starts to recruit friends and relatives, swearing them to secrecy as he devises an audacious plan. His astute and capable cousin Anne Vaux (Tyler) becomes suspicious about his activities and fears the consequences will be the exact opposite of what Catesby intends.

This fast-paced 17th century thriller delves into the history behind the plot evolution, the selection of the team to carry it out, the gathering of the resources, and the obstacles they came up against. At the same time a deadly cat and mouse game is played out with Cecil’s ruthless spy network.

Gunpowder has been commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, and Piers Wenger, Controller Drama Commissioning, for BBC One. The 3×60’ series will be written by Ronan Bennett, directed by J Blakeson and produced by Kudos (Apple Tree Yard, Broadchurch, Grantchester and Humans) in association with Thriker Films.