BBC One Commissions The Coroner

BBC One has announced the commission of new daytime drama, The Coroner, starring Claire Goose and Matt Bardock.

Claire Goose (Casualty & Waking The Dead) will play Jane, the Coroner, and Matt Bardock (Casualty) will play Davey, the local Detective Sergeant. They will be joined by Grace Hogg-Robinson (Birdhouse) who will play Beth, the Coroner's daughter; Oliver Gomm who will play Clint, the Coroner's Officer; Beatie Edney (Poldark) who will play Judith, Jane's Mother; and Ivan Kaye (Layer Cake & EastEnders), who will play Mick, the pub landlord.

The Coroner follows Jane, a high flying solicitor, who after another failed relationship, returns to the small seaside town she escaped as a teenager to take up the post of Coroner. She finds herself forced to work with Davey, the boy who broke her heart and who is now the local Detective Sergeant.

Jane is the advocate for the dead. Investigating any sudden, violent or unexplained deaths in the fictional world of Lighthaven, based on Salcombe, in the South Hams of Devon. Together, Jane and Davey work for justice on a new story in each episode.

Claire Goose said: "I am incredibly excited and proud to be working on this new drama. I can't wait to be in Devon over the next few months – it's such a beautiful place, even more so at this time of the year."

Will Trotter, Head of Daytime Drama and Executive Producer of The Coroner, said: "We have created a real gem of a drama series with The Coroner and it's a reflection on the immense creative talent that exists at the BBC Birmingham Drama Village. I am thrilled that Claire and Matt are leading the cast, I just hope viewers share my enthusiasm for the drama and it becomes an appointment to view for them."

Liam Keelan, Director of Scripted, BBC Worldwide, said: "BBC Birmingham have a great track record in producing quality returnable drama such as Father Brown and Land Girls. With the writing talent of Sally Abbott and a great on-screen cast including Claire Goose, The Coroner is a very exciting prospect for BBC Worldwide to help realise."

Produced and commissioned by BBC Birmingham Drama Village (Doctors, Father Brown and WPC 56), in collaboration with BBC Worldwide and directed by Ian Barber, Matt Carter and Niall Fraser, The Coroner has been created and written by Sally Abbott. Additional writers are Ann Marie Di Mambro, Al Smith, David Bowker, Dan Muirden, Kit Lambert, Matthew Cooke and Vincent Lund.

The Coroner will begin filming in mid-April in Totnes, Devon. The Development Producer is Ceri Meyrick, and the producer is Sandra Maclver with series producer Sam Hill. The script producers are Loretta Preece and Neil Irvine.

The Coroner will transmit on BBC One in 2016.

Image: Courtesy of BBC

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(JP)