PBS confirms US premiere date for hit ’60s drama ‘Ridley Road’
American viewers can see the BBC’s adaptation of Ridley Road on PBS later this spring.
The four-part drama comes from Downton Abbey executive producer Rebecca Eaton and Endeavour producer Betsan Morris Evans.
Inspired by true events and set against the backdrop of a swinging sixties London where far right fascism is on the rise, Ridley Road is based on Jo Bloom’s hit novel.
The mini-series aired in the UK on BBC One last October.
Positive reviews from critics praised “the strong performances of its talented cast,” describing the show as “a taut period thriller that maintains a vice-like grip throughout.”
Joining newcomers Aggi O’Casey and Tom Varey in the cast are Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful), Tracy-Ann Oberman (It’s a Sin), Eddie Marsan (The Pact), Tamzin Outhwaite (EastEnders), Samantha Spiro (Game of Thrones), Danny Hatchard (EastEnders), and Rita Tushingham (Doctor Zhivago).
The official synopsis reads: “Inspired by the struggle of the 62 Group, a coalition from the Jewish community who stood up against rising neo-Nazism in post-war Britain, Ridley Road tells the story of Vivien Epstein, a young Jewish woman (played by Agnes O’Casey).
“When Vivien starts to work with them and realises that Jack, her missing boyfriend (played by Tom Varey) has been badly injured, she infiltrates the NSM, a neo-Nazi movement which is becoming increasingly prominent in London, risking everything for her beliefs and for the man she loves.”
Watch the trailer:
Ridley Road will premiere in the US at 9/8c on Sunday 1st May on Masterpiece on PBS.
Executive producer Rebecca Eaton (Downton Abbey) previously commented: “A compelling story of love and resistance is as important now as it ever was in the turbulent 1960s. A well-told drama illuminates past and present as little else can.”
Also coming up for Masterpiece fans on PBS this year is the eleventh season of Call the Midwife and a seventh season of Grantchester.
Jo Bloom’s novel is available on Amazon.