BBC1 The Syndicate Comes to Town

The Syndicate cast - Denise (Lorraine Bruce), Jamie (Matthew Lewis), Bob (Timothy Spall), Leanne (Joanna Page), Stuart (Matthew McNulty) - image courtesy of BBC/Rollem

A brand new 5-part BBC1 drama series set in Leeds starts on Tuesday 27 March at 9.00pm.

The Syndicate is about what happens to a group of five workers at a ‘cheap and cheerful’ supermarket in the city who win the lottery together. Before the win the future looked bleak as they were about to be made redundant. And in one fell swoop, their lives are totally changed: from the prospect of an austere and miserable future to having more cash than they know what to do with. It’s a great premise and I’m sure it’s a dream that many people share at the moment – especially at times like these when the economic climate is not looking very rosy.

Bob (Timothy Spall) - image courtesy of BBC/Rollem

The supermarket manager, Bob, is played by the excellent Timothy Spall – whose acting credits include Harry Potter films, the multiple Oscar winner The King’s Speech, the BBC’s Oliver Twist (2007) and who will be appearing later this year in another series called Blandings, also on BBC One.

Jamie Bradley (Matthew Lewis) and Leanne (Joanna Page) - image courtesy of BBC/Rollem

Single mother Leanne is played by Joanna Page (who appeared alongside Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy & Emma Thompson in Love Actually, and as Stacey in BBC TV’s Gavin & Stacey). When she learns of her win, Leanne is on the one hand delighted to be free of financial worries but is also concerned about how having such a large sum will affect her.

Leanne (Joanna Page) and Denise (Lorraine Bruce) - image courtesy of BBC/Rollem

Denise (played by Lorraine Bruce – Benidorm, Dalziel & Pascoe) has a heart of gold and is an obsessional dog lover. Her weaknesses are that she is honest to the point of recklessness, and very naive.

Stuart Bradley (Matthew McNulty) - image courtesy of BBC/Rollem

The other members of the Syndicate are Stuart Bradley, the Assistant Manager, played by Matthew McNulty (Lark Rise to Candleford, Five Days, Single Handed) and Stuart’s younger brother Jamie (Matthew Lewis – Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films).

Jamie (Matthew Lewis) - image courtesy of BBC/Rollem

The Syndicate was written by Kay Mellor, a writer with a string of successes to her name including Playing The Field, Band Of Gold, A Passionate Woman, Fat Friends and The Chase. Although not based on real life, Kay was inspired to write when a close friend was threatened with redundancy and didn’t know how she’d meet her debts and pay the mortgage unless she won the lottery. It’s bound to be a winner as it mixes pathos and humour, and relates to the problems that many people are facing in these difficult times. The series has been produced by Kay’s own Rollem Productions, based in Leeds.

Kay Mellor Feb 2012 - image courtesy of Kyte Photography

The Syndicate – BBC One, 27 March, 9pm