London Thursday, 19th August 2021: James D’Arcy and Charlie Murphy lead the cast in new four-part noir thriller Deadline (w/t) for Channel 5, made by Chalkboard’s scripted sister company, Clapperboard. With international rights held by and produced in association with Night Train Media, Deadline (w/t) will be distributed by Abacus Media Rights. 

When Natalie Varga stands accused of murdering her husband in cold blood, disgraced investigative journalist James Alden finds himself captivated by the case. When James interviews Natalie for his documentary, he finds himself falling in love with the very femme fatale he is supposed to be dispassionately profiling, committing him to a dangerous path where reality becomes increasingly hazy. With the court of public opinion ruling Natalie guilty until proven innocent, can James separate the truth from the fiction?   

James D’Arcy (Agent Carter, Broadchurch) plays James Alden. With a youthful mistake from his past putting a stop to his career as an investigative journalist, James is on a quest for redemption, making him the perfect candidate to get to the bottom of Natalie Varga’s story. Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders, Happy Valley) is Natalie. After a traumatic childhood, Natalie escaped her roots to study at Cambridge University. Adept at shifting seamlessly from warm to aloof, from relatable to untouchable, Natalie has perfected the art of being elusive. But now the murder of her husband threatens to define her in a very concrete way.   

Indra Ové (Breeders, Unforgotten) joins the cast as Barbara, a longstanding friend and former flame of James’. Now his boss at Patchwork Pictures, Barbara’s affection for James is often pushed to the limit by his reckless pursuits for the truth. Brian Caspe (Jojo Rabbit, Doctor Who, Carnival Row, Hitman's Wife’s Bodyguard), Anamaria Marinca (Tin Star, Temple) also take on roles in the ensemble cast for the new series. 

 BAFTA Nominated Gareth Tunley (The Ghoul, Cold Call) is creator and lead writer on the series, and Barunka O’Shaughnessy (Motherland, Alabama) also serves as co-writer. Joe Ahearne (Doctor Who, The Replacement) is the director on the series. Clapperboard’s Mike Benson is Executive Producer on the series alongside Herbert Kloiber from Night Train Media, with Mary McCarthy (The Drowning, Delinquent Season, Extraordinary) producing. 

 On the casting, Mike Benson, Executive Producer for Clapperboard TV, said: “We are really excited to be producing something with a nod to the neo-noirs of the 80s and early 90s. With James, Charlie and Indra leading a fantastic cast - and some brilliant scripts packed with doubles crosses and duplicity – we are hoping we can do justice to the genre that has inspired us.” 

 Filming is currently underway in Budapest and the four-part drama will transmit on Channel 5 in 2022.