Season Two of Chris Lang’s critically acclaimed drama “Unforgotten” premièred on ITVi n January, 2017.
Synopsis
A body is discovered in a sealed suitcase in the silt of the River Lea. With the body preserved but clearly having been there a number of years, DCI Cassie Stuart and DI Sunny Khan begin the complicated task of identifying the victim and investigating his murder.
With an expensive watch found on the body the only evidence to go on, the item is sent to forensics who suggest approaching a watchmaker who may have repaired it to find out more about its owner.
Meanwhile, we meet four seemingly unconnected suspects who may have a link to the victim – DI Tessa Nixon who is struggling with her loner son, nurse Marion Kelsey who works with chronically ill children, Brighton-based barrister Colin Osborne who is in the process of adopting a little girl with his husband, and teacher Sara Mahmoud who is interviewing for a new position in a school that needs turning around. How did any of them knew the victim, though, and why would one of them kill him?
Series two of Chris Lang’s critically acclaimed Unforgotten will premiere on ITV in January.
Synopsis
A body is discovered in a sealed suitcase in the silt of the River Lea. With the body preserved but clearly having been there a number of years, DCI Cassie Stuart and DI Sunny Khan begin the complicated task of identifying the victim and investigating his murder.
With an expensive watch found on the body the only evidence to go on, the item is sent to forensics who suggest approaching a watchmaker who may have repaired it to find out more about its owner.
Meanwhile, we meet four seemingly unconnected suspects who may have a link to the victim – DI Tessa Nixon who is struggling with her loner son, nurse Marion Kelsey who works with chronically ill children, Brighton-based barrister Colin Osborne who is in the process of adopting a little girl with his husband, and teacher Sara Mahmoud who is interviewing for a new position in a school that needs turning around. How did any of them knew the victim, though, and why would one of them kill him?
“Unforgotten” is among the finalists announced in the C21 International Drama Awards 2016, voted for by the world’s leading scripted commissioners and buyers. The finalists – drawn from 483 entries across 12 categories – reflect the prolific drama output over the past 12 months. Unforgotten is among the finalists both for “Best English-language drama series”, and “Best casting of a drama series”.
The winners will be announced on November 30 at a gala dinner awards ceremony at 8 Northumberland Avenue during Content London.
Trailers for all finalist dramas can be viewed by clicking here
Whilst devoting his life to his work, Will Wagstaffe, also known as Staffe to his colleagues, battles personal demons. He’s haunted by the unresolved murder of his parents, which affects both his private and professional life including his on-off romance with sometimes girlfriend, Sylvie, played by Miranda Raison. His closest relationship is with his sister Juliette, played by Charlotte Riley, and young nephew Harry, who stays with him when Juliette has troubles with her boyfriend.
With no parents and no significant partner of his own, Juliette and Harry mean everything to Staffe. Determined and tenacious, Wagstaffe is an exceptionally good police officer, in spite of the fact he’s been known for pushing the boundaries of what’s considered acceptable policing.
Praise for “Dark Heart”
‘This is a quality thriller’ Observer
‘Impressive, lean and atmospheric’ The Mail
‘This is a quality thriller’ Observer
‘Impressive, lean and atmospheric’ The Mail
Cast:
Tom Riley
Charlotte Riley
Miranda Raison
Paul Kaye
Claire Goose
Indra Ove
Written by: Chris Lang from the novels by Adam Creed
Directed by: Colin Teague
Produced by: Letitia Knight
Executive producers: Chris Lang, Kate Bartlett, Michael Dawson
Entre Deux Mères, is a French adaptation of Chris Lang’s series “Torn“. Directed by Renaud Bertrand as a single, 90-minute drama, it stars Odile Vuillemin, François Vincentelli, Marilyn Garcès, and Armelle Deutsch. Filming is now complete and Entre Deux Mères premiere on TF1 this autumn.
David has always maintained he had nothing to do with his spouse’s murder, but the only person who seems to believe him is his brother Phil, who has endlessly campaigned for his release. But Chief Inspector William Bleech has a lot to lose should the conviction be overturned.
When David is released on a technicality, a cloud of suspicion still hangs over his head. How is he going to rebuild the life he has lost? Who should he trust? How will he manage his complex web of relationships? And the question stands: is he truly innocent?
Stills from the shooting of “Innocent”, Christ Lang’s four-part series for ITV about a convicted murderer maintaining his innocence. The series stars Lee Ingleby, Hermione Norris, Angel Coulby and Daniel Ryan.
With several remakes under his belt, Chris Lang is penning his first original series for French TV
British drama writers often head to Hollywood after achieving domestic success, but Chris Lang, creator of ITV crime dramas including Unforgotten, crossed the Channel to Paris.
Lang has already remade two of his ITV thrillers – A Mother’s Son, starring Hermione Norris and Martin Chines, and Bradley Walsh’s Torn – for TF1 and is currently adapting two more for the French commercial broadcaster.
A Mother’s Son, which was remade in France as Tu Es Mon Fils, averaged more than 7 million viewers when it aired last year, while the Torn adaptation, which will be known locally as Entre Deux Meres, has just finished production.
A version of his 2014 two-parter Undeniable, starring Claire Goose and Peter Firth, is in pre-production, while Lang is working with Julien Teisseire on a French version of The Reckoning, which featured Ashley Jensen and Max Beesley.
“What French viewers really like is high-concept thrillers that are rooted in a family reality,” said Lang. “The concept is a Trojan horse to tell a story about the way in which families interact, particularly when they are put under pressure. That genre speaks to their audience, and that’s what I do.”
Local nuance
Lang, who was first approached over the remakes by former ITV Studios France boss Francois Florentiny, writes scripts in English before his drafts are translated into French, with attention paid to local nuances.
“It’s a different process,” he said. “You write your beautiful English prose and then it’s translated. Then you see it back eventually, subtitled, and it’s something completely different. You can spend however much time you like making something sound beautiful and actually it’s going to change an awful lot.”
Lang, who was one of the writers on The Tunnel, Kudos’ bi-lingual remake of The Bridge for Sky Atlantic, is also preparing to start work on a French original in the new year.
“I’m writing an original idea, which will be a very interesting experiment,” he said. “It’s one thing them buying something when they’ve seen the original, it’ll be another when it’s a bespoke project which I’m starting from ground zero.”
The move will make Lang the latest British writer to succeed in France after Spooks writers Simon Mirren and David Wolstencroft penned Louis XIV period drama Versailles, which was produced by Capa Drama for Canal+. The show was later sold to BBC2.
Lang, who was the original drummer of British ’80s indie band The Housemartins, started out in a comedy revue group with Hugh Grant and continues to write dramas for UK broadcasters.
He is currently working on Dark Heart, an adaptation of Adam Creed’s crime novel Suffer The Children. The 120-minute thriller, which stars Tom Riley as Wagstaffe, is produced by ITV Studios for pay-TV channel ITV Encore.
The writer also runs his own boutique drama production firm, TXTV, with Jeremy Gwilt and Matthew Arlidge.
The company is in production on 4 x 60-minute Innocent, a crime drama for LTV starring Hermione Norris and Lee Ingleby, which is currently being filmed in Ireland.
Lang said his intimate domestic dramas will be produced through TXTV, but he is open to working with other production companies when projects demand a bigger budget. He pointed to Unforgotten, which is produced by Mainstreet Pictures for ITV and has been renewed for a second 6 x 60-minute run.
He is also developing a drama for the BBC and is keen to move into new genres. “I want to shift a little away from crime shows. It’s incredibly hard to get non-genre shows away, but I’ve got a relationship drama in with ITV… and I’m hopeful,” he said.
Following his French adventures, Lang is set to join the swarm of British producers in LA after scoring a development project with Disney-owned US network ABC.
Chris’s new drama, ‘Innocent’, began shooting in Ireland on Monday 8th August 2016, and is produced by Chris’s company TXTV. The four parter has been written by Chris and Matt Arlidge, and will be executive produced by Chris, Matt Arlidge and Jeremy Gwilt. The cast announced includes Hermione Norris, Lee Ingleby, Angel Coulby, Dan Ryan, Eliot Cowan and Nigel Lindsay
Delighted to announce Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Baskar will be joined by Rosie Cavaliero, Mark Bonnar and Lorraine Ashbourne in the second season of Unforgotten, which starts shooting on June 22nd 2016. Further cast members to be announced are:
Congratulations to Tom Courtenay on winning the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Unforgotten”, triumphing in a category that included Ian McKellen (for The Dresser), Anton Lesser (for Wolf Hall) and Cyril Nri (for Cucumber).
This year’s ceremony was held at Festival Hall on London’s Southbank and hosted by Graham Norton. Among the star-studded audience were Maisie Williams, Tom Hiddleston, Martin Freeman, Aidan Turner and the stars of Wolf Hall who led the 2016 nominations with four nods, followed by This is England ’90.