Stephen Graham to star in new Channel 4 drama

Acclaimed actor and Hollywood star Stephen Graham is to take centre stage in a brand new Channel 4 drama written and directed by the multi award-winning director Dave Nath.

Nath, who has previously won acclaim for his direction of major documentaries tackling challenging subjects through unprecedented access such as Bedlam and The Murder Detectives is turning his hand to fiction in this new project. The Watchman (w/t) is a thought-provoking thriller set on one night, in one location and seen through the eyes of one man.

Graham, whose extensive acting credits include This Is England - for which he is Bafta-nominated, Pirates of the Caribbean and Boardwalk Empire will play father-of-two Carl - a CCTV operator who views the world through a series of screens. Working alone, he has gradually become intoxicated by the power of being the 'all-seeing eye.' Carl's growing frustration with the local police comes to a head when they refuse to tackle a group of local drug dealers. Carl decides to intervene in the world he is supposed to be just watching. What follows is a terrifying chain of events played across one night shift.

Stephen Graham says: "This is a fascinating project with a compelling narrative; I'm looking forward to seeing how Dave will bring his documentary storytelling techniques to this dark drama."

Writer/Director Dave Nath says: "It's a film about a good man who makes one terrible mistake. But it also asks whether CCTV can distort our view of the world and our place within it."

Channel 4's Head of Documentaries Nick Mirsky commissioned Minnow Films to make the film with Nath. Colin Barr is the executive producer – his credits include the multi – award winning documentary series Our War for BBC Three and the Channel 4 critically-acclaimed ratings hit SAS: Who Dares Wins. Kate Cook, who has produced both high end dramas and documentaries is the producer.

Head of Documentaries Nick Mirsky says: "After the success of Cyberbully and The People Next Door, Channel 4 Documentaries is keen to continue to give our very best factual talents opportunities to explore the modern world in drama. Dave is absolutely in that category, and has written an exceptionally powerful script which is a 'what if' psychological thriller of our times.