This City Is Ours: Start date, trailer and everything we know so far
New BBC drama starts 23 March 2025.
The BBC has unveiled the trailer for This City is Ours, and confirmed it will be available on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday, 23 March – make sure to add it to your watchlist!
a brand-new crime drama from Stephen Butchard (The Good Mothers, The Last Kingdom, Five Daughters), directed by BAFTA-winning Saul Dibb (The Salisbury Poisonings, The Sixth Commandment), who serves as Lead Director, alongside John Hayes (Nightsleeper, Dublin Murders) and Eshref Reybrouck (Undercover). Set and filmed in Liverpool, this eight-part series is produced by Left Bank Pictures for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, with worldwide distribution managed by Sony Pictures Television.
Watch the trailer for This City Is Ours
The series boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including two-time BAFTA TV Award-winning actor Sean Bean (Marriage, Time) as gang leader Ronnie Phelan, James Nelson-Joyce (Bird, A Thousand Blows) as Ronnie’s friend Michael Kavanagh, Hannah Onslow (Empire of Light, This Is Going to Hurt) as Michael’s partner Diana Williams, Jack McMullen (Hijack, Ford v Ferrari) as Ronnie’s son Jamie Phelan, and Julie Graham (Shetland, Time) as Elaine, head of the Phelan family alongside her husband Ronnie.
Filmed in Liverpool, with additional scenes shot in Spain, This City is Ours tells the story of Michael (James Nelson-Joyce), a man who has been immersed in organised crime for most of his life. However, for the first time, Michael is in love and sees a future beyond the daily grind—something to win and something to lose: Diana (Hannah Onslow).
The story centres around Michael and Diana’s relationship, set against the backdrop of Michael’s crime gang’s downfall. For years, Michael and his friend Ronnie (Sean Bean) have successfully smuggled cocaine into the city from Colombia. But when a shipment goes missing, they realise their empire is under attack.
The series delves into the conflict that arises when Ronnie’s son Jamie (Jack McMullen) decides he wants to take over their criminal empire, leaving no room for Michael at the table. Both Michael and Jamie have ambitious plans to modernise the gang and will clash for control. But Michael’s greatest challenge will be to protect the woman he loves and the child he has always desired.
This is a tale of family and love torn apart by ambition, pride, and greed. It’s a story about power and the lengths we go to in order to attain and preserve it.
Additional cast members include Laura Aikman (Archie, Gavin & Stacey) as Rachel Duffy, Kevin Harvey (Treason, Time) as Bobby Duffy, Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls, Upgraded) as Cheryl Crawford, Mike Noble (Shardlake, The Long Shadow) as Banksey, Bobby Schofield (SAS Rogue Heroes, The Suspect) as Bonehead, Darci Shaw (Judy, A Thousand Blows) as Melissa Sullivan, and Stephen Walters (Slow Horses, Anne) as Davy Crawford.
