Eternal Law
Principal photography is underway on six part drama series Eternal Law, created and written by Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham for ITV. Witty, warm and life-affirming, Eternal Law is a highly original contemporary series with a unique blend of real life grittiness, vibrancy and the magical!
Set in the beautiful city of York, Eternal Law focuses on the two central characters, Zak and Tom, and will be produced by Kudos Film and Television and Ashley and Matthew?s production company, Monastic Productions.
SAMUEL WEST (Van Helsing, Iris, Any Human Heart) will play Zak Gist, an intelligent yet cynical angel sent to earth to help a community. Zak?s angel credentials are hidden from public view and only very occasionally in moments of privacy do we glimpse a dramatic flutter of wings that will confirm Zak is on earth to help, influence and understand humans as they go about their day to day lives.
RADA trained UKWELI ROACH (Streetdance 3D, Romeo and Juliet) plays Tom Greening, an eager newcomer who is on earth for the first time. His naivety gets him into scrapes and is a great source of humour to all around him. Briefed strictly not to become emotionally involved with humans, but to guide, advise, and comfort, Zak and Tom are both lawyers working for a local legal firm who deal with gritty, real-life situations as they attempt to prompt humans to understand the consequences of their actions.
HATTIE MORAHAN (Sense and Sensibility, The Golden Compass, Lark Rise to Candleford) plays Hannah, the beautiful barrister who tempts Zak to stray from the right path. In the knowledge he can?t fall in love or he will become mortal and scorned by his own kind, Zak struggles with every fibre of his being to resist Hannah who truly is the love of his angelic life!
It is a delicious and cruel irony when Zak discovers the woman he yearns for is now in York, working for old adversary and dark angel Richard Pembroke, played by TOBIAS MENZIES (Rome, Neverland). Richard is determined to derail Zak and Tom?s challenge of influencing the lives of humans and will stop at nothing to tempt, taunt and tease at their expense.
Zak and Tom are kept in line on earth by the enigmatic and glamourous Mrs Sheringham, played by ORLA BRADY (Fringe, Mistresses), although we know from the outset that she too has skeletons in her cupboard. Throughout the series we catch glimpses of ordinary people, who just happen to be angels going about their day to day work. Apparently, human on the face of it we?re left wondering how Mrs Sheringham has become caught up in the angelic world!
All episodes will be written by Ashley and Matthew, who are also Executive Producers of the drama with Alison Jackson and Jane Featherstone for Kudos Film and Television. Georgina Lowe will produce the drama and four of the six episodes will be directed by Adrian Shergold.
Since its inception in 1992, Kudos Film and Television has become one of the UK?s most successful and original producer of popular and award winning television drama. Productions include Spooks, Hustle, Life On Mars/Ashes to Ashes, Law & Order: UK, Occupation and The Fixer.
Monastic Productions is Matthew and Ashley?s Production Company founded in 2006. Matthew and Ashley created and wrote the highly acclaimed and award winning Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, whilst Ashley also wrote and created Wild at Heart, which is in its 6th series for ITV.
Commissioned by ITV?s Director of Drama Commissioning, Laura Mackie and Controller of Drama Commissioning Sally Haynes, Eternal Law is due for transmission during 2012.
?Eternal Law is a unique and original drama from two of the country?s best and most imaginative writers. They have created two brilliant characters in Zak and Tom and I?m delighted we?re shooting this in the spectacular city of York,? said Sally.
