Ordinary Lies
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Ordinary Lies TX: Tuesday 17 March 2015 (TBC) BBC One 6 x 60min For further information: Katy Ardagh: 020 7292 7358 / [email protected] Ruth Bray: 020 7292 8348 / [email protected] Amy Shacklady: 020 7292 7373 / [email protected] 1 Contents Press Release 3 Cast List 4 Cast Interviews Danny Brocklehurst Series creator and writer 5 Jason Manford Plays Marty McLean 7 Jo Joyner Plays Beth Corbin 9 Sally Lindsay Plays Kathy Kavanagh 11 Episode 1 Synopsis 13 2 Ordinary Lies How well do you really know the people who work around you? From RED Production Company, creators of hit series Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax, comes highly-anticipated new primetime drama, Ordinary Lies, penned by BAFTA and International Emmy award-winning writer, Danny Brocklehurst (Accused, Shameless). We all tell little white lies everyday be it for self-protection, success or for love. But what happens when a spur-of-the-moment mistruth snowballs and begins to take over? Is it possible get away with it, or will the lie inevitably come undone to devastating effect? Set in a car showroom, Ordinary Lies is a compelling drama about how a simple lie can spiral out of control. With drama, tragedy, warmth and humour, each episode focuses on one of the colleagues and friends of JS Motors. From party-loving receptionists, Tracy (Michelle Keegan) and Viv (Cherelle Skeet) and ambitious company boss, Mike (Max Beesley) to enigmatic salesman, Pete (Mackenzie Crook) and mothering PA, Kathy (Sally Lindsay), each new and individual story questions just how well we know the people we work with. The first episode of the six-part series tells the story of family man and salesman, Marty McLean (Jason Manford) who tells the drastic lie that wife, Katrina, has tragically died when confronted with the possibility of losing his job. His colleagues are filled with shock and sympathy for Marty, but as they rally round to help the apparently grieving widower, his lie quickly unravels. News of Marty’s loss brings back painful memories for Head of Admin, Beth (Jo Joyner), who is struggling to keep her family together after the disappearance of her husband Dave the year before. After receiving mysterious silent phone calls and unsure if Dave is alive or dead, she confides in Mike. With Mike’s marriage to Alison (Belinda Stewart-Wilson) hanging in the balance though, the chemistry between him and Beth is difficult to ignore. Meanwhile, it’s soon clear that Marty, Beth and Mike are not the only colleagues harbouring secrets. Despite her love of gossip, Kathy would be horrified if her colleagues knew the truth about her own private life, whilst mistakes in hypochondriac Pete’s past are on the verge of resurfacing and confident ladies man and mechanic, Rick (Shazad Latif), gets himself into hot water after the breakdown of his marriage. The six-part series is written by Danny Brocklehurst, produced by Tom Sherry (Scott & Bailey) and directed by John McKay (Life on Mars) and Juliet May (Call the Midwife). Executive producers are Nicola Shindler for RED Production Company and Polly Hill for BBC. Ordinary Lies was commissioned for BBC One by Charlotte Moore and Ben Stephenson. 3 Cast List Main Cast Ziggy Fisayo Akinade Mike Hill Max Beesley Fat Jason George Bukhari Grace Wells Rebecca Callard Pete Mackenzie Crook Dave Corbin Shaun Dooley Beth Corbin Jo Joyner Tracy Shawcross Michelle Keegan Rick Shazad Latif Kathy Kavanagh Sally Lindsay Marty McLean Jason Manford Amelie Lauren McQueen Jez Kris Mochrie Emma Cat Simmons Vivienne Baxter Cherrelle Skeete Alison Hill Belinda Stewart-Wilson Marianne Morton Manjinder Virk 4 Danny Brocklehurst, Writer & Creator Ordinary Lies How did you develop the idea for Ordinary Lies? The idea of writing a series about the secret lives of people who work together had been something I had been thinking about for some time. I love writing about secrets, lies, duplicity, but I also love writing about ordinary people, so I married the two ideas together. You only have to pick up a copy of a local newspaper to see that every single day people are doing things they shouldn’t – some big, some small. I wanted to create a drama series that allowed us to tell some of these stories. Did you have any key inspirations for any of the stories? They are all modern morality tales. Every single episode, without being preachy, is a story about an aspect of modern life – whether it be debt, grief, internet sex or young girls wanting a quick route to cash and designer clothes. I wanted to write a series that was really contemporary. What challenges did you face whilst writing the series? The challenge for me is always making sure the stories are good enough. One episode I completely scrapped and wrote again from page one. I wanted every episode to be a powerful, funny, engaging watch. And if it isn’t on the page – it won’t be on the screen. Why did you choose to set the series in a car showroom in Warrington? Well, the show could have been set in almost any workplace in almost any part of the country, that’s the point. I almost set it in a nondescript office like so many of us work in, but when we discussed it further we felt that the workplace should have a personality. And a car showroom has a brilliant range of characters and a natural hierarchy. But this isn’t a show about selling cars, it’s a show about people – and we wanted a workplace that offered us the opportunity to meet interesting characters. How did you research the particular areas you delve into in the series? The research was done hand in hand with the story lining. I always decide which story I want to tell then research it to make sure I am offering a credible drama. The missing person story is about as true to real life as you can get – I looked into it long and hard and wrote accordingly. How does Ordinary Lies compare to previous series you’ve written? If you look at my previous work, like The Driver, Exile, Talk to Me, they are all about hidden lives and this series continues that trend. The more obvious comparisons are Clocking Off, Sorted and The Street, in that they were big bold stories about ordinary people. However, Ordinary Lies has a distinct angle, it’s a show about how no-one really knows one another: work colleagues, friends, even lovers – there are always some secrets, always some lies… Ordinary Lies is about everyday people that we can all relate to. Why do you think that’s so important in a TV series? For me, there is too much murder on television. I get it, people like crime, but I wanted this show to find its drama in life. I wanted to write a show that was about the very human way we all make mistakes, the way we all spin too many plates, choose the wrong path, even try to do the right thing, but it somehow 5 goes wrong… I also wanted it to be a funny, warm show. There is a lot of love in this drama, and I hope viewers will respond to that. The series has a fantastic cast – did you have actors in mind when writing, or did the casting come later? I never really write with actors in mind. But as we started to assemble our cast I did some rewriting to suit the actors. I have worked with Max Beesley before so when he became Mike Hill, I rewrote slightly to suit his style and the same with Sally Lindsay. It’s a great cast. I’m thrilled to have them. 6 Jason Manford plays Marty McLean Can you tell us a bit about Ordinary Lies? The series is brilliant. Danny Brocklehurst is a top writer having done The Driver, Shameless and Clocking Off. The Production Company is brilliant; it’s Red Production Company who did Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax so it’s got a great pedigree to start with. And then to be on it with Mackenzie Crook, Max Beesley and the likes of Michelle Keegan, it’s a great cast! The stories are really fun; Ordinary Lies delves into those big lies that you tell that spiral out of control. Tell us about your character, Marty? Marty is about to get sacked, so he does the most ridiculous thing by panicking and telling his boss that his wife has died, which he totally makes up. It’s a big lie to tell, but there’s a slight relief after he tells it and he starts to enjoy it, which is a bit sick! The lie obviously unravels and you see the decline into the madness of the situation that he’s forced himself into. It was great to do; there are loads of funny bits in it but there are also some very heart-warming moments as well. It’s one of your first acting roles in TV drama. How did you find it? It was great – Marty is the bloke who thinks he’s funny in the office. It’s true there is always that guy and if I hadn’t been a comedian, I probably would have ended up being that guy! So it’s a bit like Sliding Doors really – this could have been me! Had you worked with Danny Brocklehurst before? No, I had a bit part in Shameless years ago but never worked with him to this extent.