As real-world political news continues to dominate the airwaves, a set of first-look images have been unveiled for Steven Moffat‘s new drama set in Downing Street, fittingly titled Number 10.
The pictures show us our first glimpses at Black Mirror‘s Rafe Spall as the Prime Minister, stood outside the iconic Downing Street doorway, as well as Coronation Street‘s Katherine Kelly as the Chief of Staff, stroking the Number 10 cat, aka Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, on the windowsill.
Meanwhile, Doctor Who legend Jenna Coleman is seen as the Deputy Chief of Staff, lounging in a black armchair, on her phone.
The synopsis for the new drama says: “There’s a Prime Minister in the attic, a coffee bar in the basement, and a wallpapered labyrinth of romance, crisis and heartbreak in-between. Set in the only terrace house in history with mice and a nuclear deterrent, it’s the only knock-through in the world where a hangover can start a war.
“The government will be fictional and unspecific, but the problems will be real. We’ll never know which party is in power, because once the whole world hits the fan it barely matters.
“This is a show about the building and everyone inside. Not just the Prime Minister upstairs, but the conspiracy theorist who runs the cafe three floors below, the man who repairs the lift that never works, the madly ambitious ‘advisors’ fighting for office space in cupboards. Oh, and of course, the cat.
“A drama about one of the most famous addresses in the world, Number 10 is all of Britain in a house: it’s British history under one roof. It’s how we all got into the mess we’re in. It’s also our only hope of getting out of it.”
The series comes from Moffat, the writer best known for creating Sherlock and acting as showrunner on Doctor Who between 2010 and 2017.
When the show’s cast was first announced, Moffat said in a statement: “For me, it’s all about famous doors! The doors to the TARDIS, the door to 221B Baker Street, and now the most famous door in the world – Number 10. I’ve been wanting to write about the mad house that runs the madhouse for years, and I’ve never had so much fun doing the research.
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“Other nations are ruled from mighty palaces. Britain is run from a little brick street with a big black door. If you want to do a workplace comedy drama this one is the boss of them all. And what a cast.
“My old TARDIS friend, the brilliant Jenna Coleman, Katherine Kelly, who was so amazing in the Doctor Who spin-off, Class, and at long, long last I get to work with the incredible Rafe Spall and make him Prime Minister. Britain is in safe hands.”
The series will be directed be Ben Palmer, who previously worked with Moffat on his most recent series, ITV comedy-drama Douglas Is Cancelled. Details surrounding the show’s release date will be unveiled in due course.
Number 10 will air on Channel 4.
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