Channel 4 announces a Coup

11 May 2011

Camilla Campbell, Head of Drama

High political intrigue is the subject of a brand-new four-part drama series, Coup, greenlit by Channel 4 Head of Drama Camilla Campbell and announced today.

It's often joked that the only honest man to enter Parliament was Guy Fawkes.

When big business is so pervasive, so powerful, and when we so desperately need the jobs it brings, can our elected representatives be anything more than puppets? Who can call the corporations to account? Coup is a contemporary political conspiracy thriller that explores the relationship between a democratically elected government, big business and the banks.  At its heart is one man, Tom Dawkins, a reluctant hero, who risks everything by taking on the might of the establishment.

A massive industrial accident on Teesside leaves scores of people dead and raises awkward questions about the safety procedures of the US petrochemical company involved. As a man who has a profound belief in transparency and open government, Dawkins will have to tackle vested interests, financial, media, and military, both domestic and international, in his pursuit to uncover the truth and get justice for the families affected by the disaster.  Along the way, he will struggle to keep his party onside and the electorate behind him, as he also weathers damaging revelations about his personal life.  And as the investigation into the Teesside disaster proceeds, Dawkins becomes aware of establishment's secret ties to the petrochemical company and comes to realise that there are bigger powers at play behind the scenes.

How far would the entrenched powers of global corporations go if one man threatened to upset the status quo?

C4 Head of Drama Camilla Campbell says ‘We are delighted to be able to greenlight this compelling and thought-provoking thriller by one of our most eminent contemporary writers.  Robert Jones has written a serial that goes straight to the heart of one of the biggest issues in our lifetime.'

Coup is written by Robert Jones (Lennon Naked, Party Animals, Buried, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Cops), based on the novel A Very British Coup by Chris Mullin, directed by Ed Fraiman (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Merlin, As If, A Thing Called Love) and produced by Johann Knobel (The Shadow Line, Shameless, Inspector George Gently). Executive Producers are Jason Newmark, Ed Fraiman, George Faber and Charles Pattinson.

A Company Pictures/Newscope Films production.