First-look images have been released for the new BBC drama California Avenue, set in the 1970s and starring Bill Nighy and Helena Bonham Carter. The six-part series, written and directed by BAFTA winner Hugo Blick, will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at a later date.
Erin Doherty, known for Adolescence, appears almost unrecognisable in a 70s blonde wig as her character Lela. Tom Burke (Strike) co-stars as Cooper, a fairground outcast. The cast also includes Kate Robbins as Priscilla, Paul Kaye as Kevin, and newcomer Cammie Liebreich as Bee.
The synopsis describes the series as a 'story brimming with humour and love'. Set in a secluded canal-side caravan park in the English countryside, peace is disrupted by the arrival of Lela and her 11-year-old child, Bee, who are on the run and seeking refuge.
Nighy and Bonham Carter play Jerry and Eddie, Lela’s parents and former ballroom champions from the 1930s who became wartime runaways and are still hiding three decades on. The story follows a fractured family coming together, putting ghosts of the past to rest, and forging an unexpected love.
