David Morrissey making new ’70s police corruption drama ‘The Dirty Squad’
The creators of Britannia are teaming up again for another TV series!
British actor David Morrissey and showrunner Tom Butterworth are working together again on The Dirty Squad.
Set in 1970s Britain, the brand new original drama series is based on the first exposé of corruption within the London Metropolitan Police.
The show will apparently have “the energy of an edge of your seat thriller.”
It’s good news for Butterworth and Morrissey after their historical drama Britannia was axed earlier this year despite Season 3 ending on a cliffhanger.
David Morrissey is best known for his roles in The Walking Dead, State of Play, Doctor Who, and The Singapore Grip.
The 59-year-old actor came up with the idea for the new series himself.
He explained: “I was looking into a story of present-day police corruption but everywhere I turned seemed to drive me backwards in time, to the officers that had come before, until I reached The Dirty Squad of the late ’60s and ’70s – a story of systemic corruption and misogyny so jaw-dropping you’d think it could never happen again…”
The Dirty Squad writer Tom Butterworth added: “You couldn’t invent these true-life characters and their heinous, shameless, sometimes comically insane exploits.”
“It’s like Narcos meets Carry on Up Scotland Yard,” he teased. “British myths have long fascinated me. The stories we tell ourselves about our institutions are no exception.”
We’re told The Dirty Squad is based on “true stories of police dealings with porn barons, judges, politicians and the media.”
The official synopsis reads: “While London was swinging, the Met Police was busy becoming the biggest criminal gang in the country. The line of duty wasn’t blurred, it was invisible.
“They turned the revolutionary rock n’ roll chaos and new freedoms of the times into hard cash through bribes, extortion and theft. And as law enforcers, made themselves ruthlessly untouchable.
“In response, the newly appointed Met Police Commissioner, Sir Robert Mark, sets up the first police anti-corruption unit – A10.
“It was time to clean up the Met police once and for all. This is the story of why it didn’t work…”
The Dirty Squad is set to premiere in 2024.
We don’t have any details on who’ll be broadcasting the series in the UK yet, but we expect it will be snapped up by Sky Atlantic, home of Britannia and Gangs of London.
Britannia is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.