Watch the tense trailer for Gangs of London star’s BBC drama based on a “heart-stopping” true story
The BBC has released the tense trailer for Prisoner 951, a new drama described as “heart-stopping” by the broadcaster and based on a real-life ordeal. Arriving on our screens later this month, the story will be told across four parts on BBC One and iPlayer.
The trailer introduces us to British-Iranian citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is preparing to return from Iran to the UK with her child. Before she can do so, she is stopped, taken away, and locked up.
Her husband Richard Ratcliffe is at first told there’s an issue with Nazanin’s passport, but is soon told to start treating it as an abduction. With the Foreign Office advising inaction, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
Although brief, the footage shows us that dealing with the situation while not knowing if his wife is safe takes its toll on Richard.
Nazanin was imprisoned by the Iranian state for a total of six years.
In terms of cast, Gangs of London’s Narges Rashidi plays Nazanin and The Handmaid’s Tale’s Joseph Fiennes plays Richard.
BBC
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Three Girls’ Philippa Lowthorpe has directed the four-part drama, from a script written by This City Is Ours’ Stephen Butchard.
Filming took place in the UK and in Greece.
Prisoner 951 is based on Nazanin and Richard’s book A Yard of Sky, which is now pencilled in for release next year.
BBC
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Last month, the BBC also announced a one-off, 90-minute documentary about Nazanin’s imprisonment and Richard’s quest for justice: Prisoner 951: The Hostages’ Story.
The couple worked with the documentary makers on the project, which also includes interviews with fellow former hostages Anoosheh Ashoori and his daughter Elika Ashoori, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, and Jason Rezaian.
Prisoner 951 is set to air on BBC One and stream on iPlayer later this month.
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