UKTV’s Alibi channel has ordered new legal drama ‘Mudtown‘, which centres around life at Newport’s Magistrates Court, starring Erin Richards (Gotham, The Crown) and Tom Cullen (The Gold, Becoming Elizabeth).
The series follows experienced Magistrate Claire Lewis Jones (Richards) as she faces personal turmoil while presiding over cases at Newport Magistrates Court. When Ned Humphries, a childhood friend of Beca, Claire’s daughter, faces arson charges, Claire’s loyalty to her community is put to the test. Matters are made worse when local criminal kingpin Saint Pete (Cullen) appears on the scene. Claire and Saint Pete go back a long way – will her past come back to threaten her present? As she delves deeper into the case, and suspicions grow around her daughter’s new bad-boy boyfriend, Sonny Higgins, Claire uncovers a web of criminal activity that could put her and her family at risk.
As the truth emerges and consequences unfold, Claire must confront her own biases and decisions. The lines between right and wrong become blurred, leaving Claire in muddy waters as her maternal instincts clash with her commitment to uphold the law.
Erin Richards (Gotham, The Crown) is set to take the lead as Claire Lewis Jones, alongside Tom Cullen (The Gold, Becoming Elizabeth) as St Pete, Matthew Gravelle (Broadchurch, Steeltown Murders) as Alun Lewis Jones, Lauren Morais (The Red King) as Beca Lewis Jones, Lloyd Meredith (The Red King, Gran Turismo) as Sonny Higgins, Kimberly Nixon (The Salisbury Poisonings, Life and Death in the Warehouse) as Sara Humphries, Sion Pritchard (Pila Pala, The Indian Doctor) as Davey Johns and Ifan Huw Dafydd (The Light in the Hall, Requiem) as Owen Williams.
The six-part hourlong drama comes from writing duo Hannah Daniel (star of Keeping Faith, Holby City) and Georgia Lee, who also sits on the Bench as a Magistrate. ‘Mudtown’ is a co-commission with Welsh language free-to-air channel S4C and All3Media International. The series is produced by Severn Screen and has begun filming, shooting back-to-back in both English and Welsh language.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to represent the untold world of the magistrate’s court, shot through with an authentic South Walian spirit,” said Daniel and Lee. “We couldn’t be more excited about bringing the characters and this thrilling story to the screen with such strong partners.”
The UKTV Original series has been commissioned by Helen Perry, head of drama for UKTV, and ordered for Alibi by Emma Ayech, channel director, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Executive Producer for Severn Screen is Ed Talfan and the series will be produced by Hannah Thomas (Steeltown Murders, Hidden) and directed by Rhys Carter (Yr Amgueddfa, Enid a Lucy) and Chris Forster (Hidden, The Light in the Hall). Mudtown (Ar y Ffin in Welsh) was commissioned for Welsh language broadcaster S4C by head of scripted, Gwenllian Gravelle, and will air first in late 2024 on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer.
“It’s brilliant to be working with Severn Screen and partnering with S4C, for the first time, alongside All3Media International,” adds Helen Perry, head of drama for UKTV, who commissioned the drama. “I’m thrilled that we get to bring Hannah and Georgia’s razor-sharp scripts to life in a way that will make our audiences laugh, cry, gasp and stay on the edge of their seats. The characters are colourful, the crimes are complex, the twists are non-stop, and the whole show is shot through with wit. This series will give our Alibi audiences a very different type of legal drama and I can’t wait to introduce them to it.”
‘Mudtown‘ does not yet have a premiere date but will air in English on Alibi and in Welsh on Welsh language free-to-air channel S4C in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
