James R | On 02, Jan 2019

BBC One has been investing heavily in drama in recent years, as it looks to distinguish itself from other broadcasters and streaming services. 2019 is set to be no different, with a whole host of prestige and high-profile productions on the way.

Following Idris Elba‘s long-awaited return in the award-winning Luther this week, BBC One fan favourites Call The Midwife and Silent Witness also return this January. Looking further ahead, The Missing writers are soon to bring to screens thrilling new drama Baptiste starring Tchéky Karyo and Tom Hollander, and Suranne Jones will star as Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack, the Regency landowner who sets her sights on marrying Ann Walker, played by Sophie Rundle.

The hotly anticipated Line of Duty will return with Stephen Graham as the new guest lead and Peaky Blinders will make its move to BBC One.

New commission Dublin Murders will introduce Killian Scott and Sarah Greene as detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox, the characters drawn from Tana French’s bestselling Dublin Murder Squad novels, and Emma Thompson will lead a dynamic cast for new drama Years & Years, a unique and ambitious drama charting one family surviving the future.

Richard Gere will star alongside Helen McCrory and Billy Howle in political and psychological thriller, MotherFatherSon. As much a family saga as it is savage, it is an unflinching study of power, and how even the mightiest of empires can be in peril when a family turns on each other.

Babou Ceesay and Jill Halfpenny lead the cast of Dark Mon£y, a new topical drama which sees an ordinary London family decide to accept a substantial pay-off from a renowned filmmaker to keep silent about the abuse of their youngest son.

Julia Ormond and Ben Barnes star in distinctive emotional thriller Gold Digger, telling the story of a wealthy 60-year old woman falling in love with a man 26 years her junior, and Holby City celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Additional BBC Drama highlights for 2019 include an adaptation of critically acclaimed young adult novel Noughts and Crosses, Trigonometry – a love story about three people who are made for each other, the fifth and final series of Poldark, and Golden Globe nominated and BBC iPlayer box set smash hit Killing Eve will also return to screens for a second season.

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, says: “We have been working hard to bring you more standout unmissable drama in 2019. Across our BBC channels and BBC iPlayer we have something for everyone. Whether you choose to watch television drama to escape from the real world, learn about a part of history, explore contemporary social issues, or watch your favourite novel being adapted for screen – we have a range of new and returning programmes coming that you do not want to miss.”

The slate follows a standout year in 2018 for BBC Drama, which saw original drama Bodyguard smash records to become the most requested ever programme on BBC iPlayer, while A Very English Scandal was also a global hit, with both shows garnering multiple Golden Globe nominations. BBC Two also featured a range of original authored drama which pushed the boundaries from Black Earth Rising, an international thriller about the prosecution of international war crimes and the West’s relationship with contemporary Africa, to Doing Money, which told the shocking true story about slavery in modern Britain, plus political thriller Collateral, which looked at migration in the UK.

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