BBC Orders Hugo Blick’s California Avenue with Nighy and Bonham Carter

BBC One and iPlayer have commissioned California Avenue, a new six-part drama from Hugo Blick, with Bill Nighy and Helena Bonham Carter set to headline.

The limited series marks Blick’s first major return to the BBC since The English and reunites him with Drama Republic and Eight Rooks. Erin Doherty and Tom Burke also star, with production slated to begin this summer in Hertfordshire.

Set in a canal-side caravan park in the British countryside, the story tracks a fractured family as they’re forced back into each other’s orbit. Doherty plays Lela, a young mother on the run; Burke plays Cooper, a local figure tied to her past. Nighy and Bonham Carter anchor the wider ensemble, with further cast to be confirmed.

The commission reinforces BBC One’s current pattern of partnering with marquee creators for contained, high-profile drama. Blick’s past work, including The Shadow Line and The Honourable Woman has attracted both awards attention and strong international sales, and California Avenue continues that trajectory with a cast built for global reach and a format shaped for six-episode pacing. Distribution will be handled by Mediawan Rights.

Filming begins later this year. A premiere window will be announced by the BBC in due course.