‘Ridley Road’ trailer: ‘Downton Abbey’ producer’s new ’60s drama is coming soon

The BBC has released the first trailer for their adaptation of Ridley Road.

Based on Jo Bloom’s critically acclaimed novel, the upcoming series comes from Downton Abbey executive producer Rebecca Eaton and the makers of Last Tango in Halifax.

Ridley Road is described as “a thriller set against the backdrop of a swinging sixties London we haven’t seen: an East End world where far right fascism is on the rise.”

The brand new four-part mini-series will premiere this autumn in the UK on BBC One, then on PBS in the US in 2022.

Ridley Road began filming in London last autumn, adapted for television by writer and Bridget Jones’ Baby actress Sarah Solemani.

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, previously commented: “Sarah’s brilliant scripts tell a unique story of doomed love and undercover espionage against a backdrop of a fascist uprising in 1960s London.”

He added: “This story couldn’t feel more timely and we are hugely indebted Sarah for bringing this story to life in her own style.”

The cast is led by newcomers Aggi O’Casey and Tom Varey.

They’re joined by 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).

Watch the trailer:

 

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.”

Jo Bloom’s novel is available on Amazon.