Stephen Graham and Sean Bean are both going star in Time, a new BBC One prison drama written by Jimmy McGovern.
The show is described as a "visceral and high-stakes portrayal of life in the modern British penal system.
"It is a story of guilt and forgiveness, punishment and penitence and the impact that prison has on all those who pass through it." say the BBC Press Office. "Time is emotional and thrilling, showcasing the performances of two of Britain’s finest and best-loved actors."
Bean will play Mark Hebden, a teacher who is given a four-year sentence after accidentally killing a man, and is grappling with his grief whilst trying to survive on the inside.
Stephen Graham has been cast as prison guard Eric Reid, who is forced to make "an impossible choice between his principles and his love for his family."
"Both Eric and Mark, officer and inmate, are seemingly trapped by their pasts and unsure of their futures," reads the official synopsis. "Each has to not only survive, but to find the strength and the way to move forward."
Jimmy McGovern is one the most acclaimed writers in British television, and the man who gave us The Lakes, Cracker, and The Street.
“The BBC have given me a brilliant young director and two of the greatest actors on the planet. I am overjoyed," commented McGovern.
“Getting to be involved in a Jimmy McGovern drama again is a real privilege and it will be great to be reunited with Stephen," added Sean Bean. "Mark Hebden is another of Jimmy’s complex and superbly written characters and I am looking forward to bringing him to life on screen.”
“It is an absolute honour to be working with Jimmy again, I’m feeling blessed," said Stephen Graham. "I can’t wait to get stuck in. Of course, I am made up to be back on set with Sean.”
It is not the first time the trio of McGovern, Bean, and Graham have worked together - they previously collaborated on a memorable episode of McGovern's anthology series Accused, where Bean played a crossdresser.
Time will begin Liverpool this autumn.
