Sky Lines Up Original Drama from Walking Dead Star Lennie James

LONDON: Two new original productions are coming to Sky Atlantic, one of which is Gone, created and written by Lennie James (Critical, The Walking Dead).

James, who wrote the award-winning drama Storm Damage, also stars in the series with Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Scott & Bailey) and Stephen Graham (This is England, Boardwalk Empire). James will play Nelson ‘Nelly’ Rowe, a heavy drinker who gets accused of a terrible crime and sets off to clear his name by finding the real perpetrator.

Gone is produced by World Productions, the makers of Line of Duty. Nick Murphy (Occupation, The Last Kingdom) serves as director.

Sky Atlantic viewers can also look forward to The Tunnel: Vengeance, the third and final installment of the crime thriller. Clémence Poésy and Stephen Dillane star in the six-parter, which is penned by lead writer Emilia Di Girolamo (Law & Order: UK). The Tunnel: Vengeance is set in Europe amidst hysteria around a refugee crisis, the increasing threat and horror of terrorism and with far-right groups growing in power. The final installment will follow the detectives as they are faced with a toxic and terrifying duo whose hideous crimes see them take ever more dark and desperate measures to provoke the police into collaborating on their desperate endgame.

Sky’s head of drama, Anne Mensah, said: “I’m really excited about these two brilliant dramas coming exclusively to Sky Atlantic. The multi-talented Lennie James has mixed a gripping mystery with utterly unique characters. Gone exemplifies the originality we aim for on Sky Atlantic. In The Tunnel: Vengeance we return to our incomparable English and French detective duo, Karl and Elise, examining questions which politically couldn’t be more pertinent. This final installment will be the perfect ending to the emotional journey we’ve been on across three fantastic series!”

James said: “Everyone knows someone like Nelly. He’s the feller constantly at the end of the bar. The feller that can’t help himself, never really grew up and has wasted who he could have been. They are usually the cautionary tale. They are almost never the hero. In Gone, Nelly might just be…”

Jones added: “I’m so thrilled to be part of Lennie’s unique creation. His writing is so compelling, his portrayal of the world so distinctive. It is completely different from anything I’ve done before.”

Dillane said: “It is strange that this is the last time we’ll work together as Karl and Elise. It’s been nothing but a pleasure to work with Clemence, who is both a lovely woman and a beautiful actress. I expect that Emilia and the team at Kudos have a suitably devastating finale up their sleeve.”

Poésy commented: “This final, bone-chilling chapter in Elise and Karl’s story sees Elise make shocking discoveries that shake her to her very core. Playing a character as nuanced and complicated as she is has been the greatest privilege and saying goodbye to her and the wonderful synergy I share with the incredible Stephen Dillane will not be easy.”