BBC announces stellar cast for The Syndicate, series 2
As we reported earlier this year, BBC’s successful and highly praised drama The Syndicate is set to return to our screens for a new series on BBC1 in 2013, and with a stellar new cast including Alison Steadman (Pride And Prejudice, Gavin And Stacey), Jimi Mistry (East Is East, Eastenders,) Mark Addy (Game Of Thrones, Great Expectations), Natalie Gavin (Shameless, Prisoners’ Wives) and Siobhan Finneran (Benidorm, Downton Abbey). The second series will again be written by Bafta winner Kay Mellor who beside the first series of The Syndicate has a string of other hits to her name including A Passionate Woman, Band of Gold, Fat Friends, and Playing the Field.
This series of The Syndicate will be based in Bradford where a group of five poorly-paid workers at St Anthony’s Hospital win a massive multi-million pay-out in the Euro Millions lottery. Alan (Mark Addy), Becky (Natalie Gavin), Mandy (Siobhan Finneran), Rose (Alison Steadman) and Tom (Jimi Mistry) discover – sometimes the hard way – that not all the best things in life have a price-tag attached and in the end having an exceptionally healthy bank balance can’t guarantee a life full of happiness.
How will all this money change the lives of the winners, and of their families and friends? They all have their hopes and dreams but will the opportunity to fulfil their aspirations leave them contented or will it lead to problems?
Having received so much acclaim from the first series Kay Mellor says, “The Syndicate is a drama series of our time. As the world recession bites harder and deeper, more and more people are doing the lottery. It gives them the weekly hope of winning their way out of debt and poverty. They are five little balls away from living their dream – or so they think!”
As with the first series, the new series will be produced by Yorkshire-based Rollem Productions and is currently being filmed in Leeds and Bradford.