Sean Bean will star in new BBC One crime drama This City Is Ours, now filming in Liverpool.
The two-time BAFTA winner will play a crime boss, whose decision to retire prompts a battle for power within the gang.
So what’s the plot of This City Is Ours, when is it released and who joins Sean Bean in the star-studded cast?
This City Is Ours: Sean Bean plays Ronnie Phelan
This City Is Ours explores the deterioration of crime boss Ronnie Phelan (Sean Bean)’s Kingdom after Ronnie decides to quit.
For years, Ronnie has imported cocaine into Liverpool from Columbia, alongside friend Michael Kavanagh (James Nelson-Joyce). However, when Ronnie decides to retire, his son Jamie (Jack McMullen) wants to inherit the family business. Unfortunately for Michael, that means there’s no longer a place for him.
Michael and Jamie clash over their ideas for the gang’s future, putting Michael’s future with love Diana (Hannah Onslow) at risk.
Meanwhile, a shipment from Colombia goes missing – and the gang realise that its claim on the city is threatened.
BBC crime drama cast revealed
Sean Bean leads the cast of This City Is Ours, portraying retiring gang leader Ronnie Phelan.
Film and television star Sean Bean needs no introduction, after a hugely successful career spanning four decades. His breakout role came in historical series Sharpe, where he played the titular role between 1993 and 2008. Since Sharpe, he’s bagged major roles in huge Hollywood films including GoldenEye, When Saturday Comes, The Lord of the Rings, Troy and Silent Hill.
More recently, Sean has appeared in 2020’s Marriage, 2021’s Time and on Disney+ playing Thomas Cromwell in Shardlake (2024).
Sean is joined by James Nelson-Joyce as Ronnie’s friend and business partner Michael Kavanagh. The pair have worked together before, in 2021 Jimmy McGovern drama Time. James’ other big credits include The Outlaws, Industry, A Town Called Malice and Bird.
Shetland star Julie Graham will portray the matriarch of the Phelan family – Ronnie’s wife Elaine. Scottish actress Julie is well known for her roles in British comedies as Sheron Dawson in Benidorm and Gail in Two Doors Down. Last year, she starred in the second season of Time, as well as ITV’s Maternal and Paramount+ drama The Serial Killer’s Wife.
Hannah Onslow portrays Diana Williams, Michael’s threatened partner. She is best known for playing Erika van Hegen in This Is Going To Hurt, an aggrieved patient of Adam (Ben Whishaw). Hannah has also appeared in Call the Midwife and Ridley Road.
Meanwhile, Jack McMullen is Ronnie’s son Jamie Phelan. Another alumni from Time’s first season, Jack has played roles in Brookside, Grange Hill and Waterloo Road. More recently, he starred alongside Idris Elba in AppleTV+ drama Hijack.
Who else is in the This City Is Ours cast?
Other cast members include Laura Aikman (Gavin & Stacey) as Rachel Duffy and Kevin Harvey (Time) as Bobby Duffy. Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls plays Cheryl Crawford, while Mike Noble (Shardlake, The Long Shadow) is Banksey.
Meanwhile, Bobby Schofield (SAS Rogue Heroes) will play Bonehead, Darci Shaw (Judy) is Melissa Phelan, and Stephen Walters (Slow Horses) is Davy Crawford.
This City Is Our – writing and directing credits
Stephen Butchard is the writer of This City Is Ours. He has some form for writing organised crime stories – most recently he adapted Alex Perry’s The Good Mothers into an award-winning Disney+ series. The Good Mothers is the story of the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
Steven is best known for writing The Last Kingdom – the BBC adaptation of Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories. The series first aired on BBC Two in 2015, and premiered its final episode on Netflix last year.
He was also the writer for 2010 miniseries Five Daughters, which told the story of the Ipswich Serial Murders. The drama starred Ian Hart and Sarah Lancashire.
Saul Dibb is the director for This City Is Ours. Most recently, Saul directed true crime drama The Sixth Commandment (2023). The series retold the deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin in Buckinghamshire in the 2010s – and starred Timothy Spall and Anne Reid.
His other credits include 2020’s The Salisbury Poisonings, about the titular incident in 2018. The drama starred Anne-Marie Duff, Rafe Spall and Annabel Scholey.
Saul also directed the 2008 Oscar-winning Keira Knightley film The Duchess.
Filming has started
The series began filming this week in Liverpool.
According to Liverpool Film Office, filming is expected to commence in the Liverpool City Region for 14 weeks.
This City Is Ours is also filming scenes in Spain.
Release date for This City Is Ours
There is currently no release date for This City Is Ours. However, based on filming schedules, we can expect it to air on BBC One sometime in 2025.
This City Is Ours will be eight episodes long.
It will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Are you excited to watch Sean Bean in This City Is Ours? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.