New J.K. Rowling Drama Airs This Sunday

A new drama based on J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults is to premiere on BBC One this Sunday night.

Three part mini-series The Casual Vacancy was filmed with the support of Bristol Film Office in July and August 2014, and begins on Sunday 15 February at 21:00.

Starring Michael Gambon, Julia McKenzie, Keeley Hawes, Rufus Jones and Rory Kinnear, The Casual Vacancy centres on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village. Behind the pretty façade is a town at war: rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils.

Producer of The Casual Vacancy, Ruth Kenley-Letts, said: "The Bristol Film Office were fantastically helpful in helping us identify places to film and in many other ways too; identifying our needs and connecting the production team to reliable local suppliers. With so many locations required for the production, their support was invaluable."

Bristol Film Office's Natalie Moore says: "It was a pleasure to welcome Brontë Film and Television to Bristol last year for the filming of this highly anticipated new drama. Bristol has a fantastic track record as a location for TV drama, we are a film friendly city that works hard to assist production teams, by helping with locations searches, putting them in touch with local partners and supplying all the permissions needed to ensure filming runs smoothly.

"There's a reason why we do this – productions like The Casual Vacancy are good news not only for the local crew who are employed on them, but also for the city's wider economy. In 2013/14, filming in Bristol brought £19.6 million inward investment into the city, and we predict that the 2014/5 figures will continue to be strong. A rising number of large scale productions, such as Wolf Hall, Poldark and Galavant, chose Bristol locations last year. With a skilled crew base, effective Film Office and strong production base at The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol is really standing out as a leading UK filming destination that can accommodate all kinds of production."

The Casual Vacancy is a 3 x 60 minute mini-series produced by Brontë Film and Television. It is written by Sarah Phelps (BBC's Great Expectations and The Crimson Field), directed by Jonny Campbell (Bafta winner Eric & Ernie, Bafta-winning mini-series In the Flesh) and produced by Ruth Kenley-Letts (The Tunnel, the Emmy Award-winning The Hour).

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(IT/JP)