'Hope Springs' For Alex Kingston And Annette Crosbie

British actresses Alex Kingston and Annette Crosbie are among the first stars to be cast for BBC One's 'Hope Springs', a new eight-part peak-time drama from Shed Productions through BBC Scotland.
Made by the production company behind hit series' including 'Waterloo Road', 'Bad Girls' and 'Footballers' Wives', 'Hope Springs' is a vibrant, thrilling and funny drama about four fabulous female ex-cons trying to go straight.
The drama is scheduled to start filming on location in Scotland this summer.
Alex Kingston ('Doctor Who', 'ER', 'Moll Flanders') stars as Ellie, the feisty, sexy leader of the female gang.
Along with fellow ex-cons, Hannah, Josie and Shoo, Ellie finds herself in hiding in a remote Scottish village called Hope Spring after their plans to start a new life in Barbados - courtesy of £3 million stolen from Ellie's gangster husband - go awry.
All they have to do is keep their heads down, assume new identities and plan and escape to their Barbados idyll...
Annette Crosbie ('Little Dorrit', 'One Foot In The Grave', 'Dr Findlay') will play Sadie, local fount of all knowledge (and gossip), whose life gets entangled with the women's soon after their arrival in the village.
The drama is about losing millions, survival, falling in love in unlikely places, making a home and chasing your dreams.
The new drama will also star Christine Bottomley ('The Street', 'Heartbeat') as the streetwise Shoo Coggan.
Details of further casting are due to follow shortly.
Commenting on the new project, Alex Kingston said: "I rather like the idea of working on a project where there are so many good, strong female roles.
"These girls are ex-cons, so they're not necessarily role models, at least not to start with. They're four women with murky pasts stuck in a remote village in Scotland. Anything can happen!"
And Annette Crosbie is delighted to take on her 'Hope Springs' role. She said: "Sadie's a real character, a busy-body who is immediately drawn to the feisty strangers who appear in the village out-of-the-blue.
"Hope Springs promises to be a tremendously fun drama to work on and I'm looking forward to filming in Scotland again - it'll be lovely to go home."
'Hope Spring' is written by Anne McManus, Maureen Chadwick and Liz Lake (Shed Productions).
The first of four filming blocks will be produced by Brian Park who will also executive produce the drama for Shed Productions along with Anne Mensah, BBC Scotland Head of Drama.
Brian Park said: "We're thrilled to have such major screen talent as Alex and Annette fronting Hope Springs.
"They both bring a distinct touch of class to the characters, which, combined with some truly spectacular locations, should make for a fabulous drama.
"It's Shed Productions' first drama in Scotland - and we hope the first of many."
The eight-part series is scheduled to transmit on BBC One in 2009.
(KMcA)