Stephen Graham And Sean Bean Star In New BBC Prison Drama Time

A new BBC prison drama starring Stephen Graham and Sean Bean sounds like it's going to be essential viewing - whenever it comes out.

Time sees Graham take on the role of 'caring and honest' prison officer Eric Reid, who 'faces an impossible choice between his principles and his love for his family', while Bean plays teacher Mark Hebden, who killed a man in an accident and was sent down for four years.

A synopsis reads: "Seen through the eyes of two very different men, Time is a visceral and high-stakes portrayal of life in the modern British penal system.

"It is a story of guilt and forgiveness, punishment and penitence and the impact that prison has on all those who pass through it.

"Both Eric and Mark, officer and inmate, are seemingly trapped by their pasts and unsure of their futures. Each has to not only survive, but to find the strength and the way to move forward.

"Time is emotional and thrilling, showcasing the performances of two of Britain's finest and best-loved actors."

The three-part series is due to begin filming in Liverpool in autumn, but there is no release date as of yet. It will see Bean and Graham work together again, having previously appeared alongside one another in 2012 drama The Accused.

BBC

Writer Jimmy McGovern - who also wrote The Accused - said: "The BBC have given me a brilliant young director [Lewis Arnold] and two of the greatest actors on the planet. I am overjoyed."

Bean said he is looking forward to working with McGovern and Graham again.

He said: "Getting to be involved in a Jimmy McGovern drama again is a real privilege and it will be great to be reunited with Stephen.

"Mark Hebden is another of Jimmy's complex and superbly written characters and I am looking forward to bringing him to life on screen."

Graham echoed Bean's sentiment too.

He said: "It is an absolute honour to be working with Jimmy again, I'm feeling blessed.

"I'm excited to be working with Lewis as I have heard so many incredible things about him as a director, I can't wait to get stuck in. Of course, I am made up to be back on set with Sean."

Topics: TV and Film, BBC, Stephen Graham, UK Entertainment, Sean Bean

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey