Stephen Merchant is writing and starring in a new crime thriller for BBC One.
The 45-year-old actor – who will also direct the six-part project – will be heavily involved in ‘The Offenders’, which follows seven very different strangers as they complete a Community Payback sentence and find themselves protecting one of their own from Bristol’s most dangerous gang.
He said: "My parents used to work in the Community Service world and I was always intrigued that the many and varied people they dealt with only had one thing in common: they’d committed a crime.
"The Offenders’ mix of light and shade, dark and comic, middle-class angst with inner-city grit, reflects the unlikely partnership of me and [co-creator Elgin James].
"I grew up in suburbia whereas Elgin spent his early life building a national street gang until a police investigation landed him in prison.
"Despite coming from different sides of the tracks, Elgin and I share a love of convincing characters and authentic, engaging, human stories."
While BBC One has picked up the drama in the UK, the series will be distributed by Amazon Prime Video in the US, Canada and Australia.
The project is being produced by Big Talk and Stephen’s own Four Eyes company, with ‘The Virtues’ producer Nickie Sault leading the way.
Big Talk chief Kenton Allen said the firm is delighted to be working with Merchant on his first one-hour series while continuing its long relationship with the Beeb.
He added: "We’re also equally thrilled to be working with Amazon for the first time on an original production."
Kate Daughton – the BBC’s head of comedy – said: "The BBC One audience are in for an absolute treat with Stephen Merchant’s gripping world rich with heart, humour and stand out characters."
Stephen Merchant’s crime thriller The Offenders coming to BBC One
