The BBC has announced The Cage, a new crime drama from Tony Schumacher, the BAFTA-nominated writer of The Responder. The series stars BAFTA-winner Sheridan Smith (Cilla) and Michael Socha (The Gallows Pole).
Here’s the Lowdown: The Cage is set in a Liverpool casino and follows two employees, Leanne (Smith) and Matty (Socha), who discover they are both stealing from their workplace. Their actions put them on a dangerous path, involving a local gangster and the police. The five-part series will be directed by Al Mackay (Kidnapped) and filmed in and around Liverpool.
What This Means Now: This is Schumacher’s second major project for the BBC, following the success of The Responder. The casting of Smith and Socha, both known for their powerful performances, suggests a high-quality, character-driven drama.
The Bigger Picture: Produced by Element Pictures (known for Normal People), The Cage is described as a “high-stakes, high-energy crime story” that is also a “love story of sorts” according to Christopher Aird and Hilary Martin from Element Pictures, combining humour, poignancy, thrills, and sadness. Schumacher says he hopes people will find the show “funny, dark, but most of all full of love, life and entertainment”. The series adds to the BBC’s growing slate of strong original dramas and continues its commitment to featuring regional talent and stories. It will air on both BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
