Channel 4’s powerful drama National Treasure, about a faded entertainer called Paul Finchley being accused of historic sex crimes, boasts a stellar cast.
Robbie Coltrane plays the accused Paul Finchley, with Julie Walters his stoic, unhappy wife and Andrea Riseborough his troubled daughter Dee.
The writer is Skins, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and soon-to-be His Dark Materials writer Jack Thorne. National Treasure starts Tuesday 20th September at 9pm on Channel 4.
Here are the main players…
Paul Finchley (Robbie Coltrane)
Paul is a much-loved, ageing entertainer, one half of a very successful double act who have been on our screens for over 30 years. Paul is avuncular, witty and popular, both as the national treasure of the title and an inspiration to the younger generations of comics. Yet there’s also a troubling side to Paul. Away from the limelight he hasn’t always been a good (or faithful) husband to his wife, Marie, or the best father to his daughter, Dee. When he faces questioning over an alleged historic sex crime, all these demons will resurface.
A giant of TV and screen, Robbie’s best known TV role is as the hard-living maverick forensic psychologist Fitz from Cracker. He is also a Harry Potter favourite for his turn as Hagrid, and is known to Bond fans as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in the films Goldeneye and The World is Not Enough.
Marie Finchley (Julie Walters)
Marie has been Paul’s wife for 40 years and has stuck by him through all his career highs and lows. A steely, dryly funny, strong and religious woman, she has always been fiercely protective of her family. However, as the pressure of the legal case mounts and old family secrets start to emerge, Marie questions her own faith in her husband.
Like her co-star Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters is another Harry Potter alumnus, much loved for her role as Ron’s lovely Mum Molly Weasley. She won a Golden Globe and a Bafta and was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in 1983 film Educating Rita, enjoyed a wonderful comedy career alongside Victoria Wood, and recently appeared in Indian Summers on Channel 4.
Danielle “Dee” Finchley (Andrea Riseborough)
Dee is Paul and Marie’s only child. Troubled, clever, acerbically funny, but also deeply vulnerable, she’s a recovering addict, struggling to stay sober and to be a good mum to her kids, Billy and Frances. When her famous father is accused of monstrous crimes, it forces Dee to re-examine her life all over again.
You will have seen Andrea in C4 drama The Devil’s Whore, alongside Michael Keaton in the Oscar-winning Birdman and playing the lead role of the former British Prime Minister in the TV drama Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley.
Karl Jenkins (Tim McInnerny)
As the other – more successful – half of the much-loved duo Karl & Paul, he is charming, outgoing and a lifelong bachelor. But there is more to his relationship with Paul than meets the eye. There is a deep loyalty there, but also a certain amount of long-standing resentment and jealousy.
Known to Blackadder fans as the ridiculous Lord Percy from the second series (and as Captain Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth), McInnerny has enjoyed a successful career with roles in Notting Hill and 101 Dalmations to his name. He was recently was seen as Lord Robbett Glover in Game of Thrones season 6.
Jerome Sharpe (Babou Ceesay)
Jerome is a straight-talking and smart criminal solicitor, and the man charged with getting Paul off the hook. Jerome lives and breathes the legal game and is prepared to employ every trick at his disposal to get the right result for his client.
The Gambian actor is perhaps most recognisable to Lewis fans for his role as Lewis’s sidekick DC Alex Gray. Will also soon be seen playing the role of Richard Taylor – the father of the murdered young boy Damilola Taylor – in the upcoming BBC drama Our Loved Boy.
DI Palmer (Nadine Marshall)
DI Palmer is the police officer who leads the investigation against Paul. Perceptive, dogged and an expert interrogator, she is a formidable adversary.
Fans of Sky Living sitcom The Spa will remember her as the hyper-aggressive weights instructor Vron. She has also enjoyed roles in New Tricks, Waterloo Road, Vera and Death in Paradise.
Rebecca Thornton (Kate Hardie)
Rebecca is the first woman to accuse Paul, alleging he raped her in the early 1990s on the set of his sitcom, Japes. Rebecca is a sensitive soul and was a huge fan of Paul as a younger woman. Now middle-aged, Rebecca passionately believes she’s right about him.
Daughter of the TV presenter and bird-watcher Bill Oddie, Kate enjoyed early success as a young actress appearing in a range of movies including Mona Lisa (1986), Cry Freedom (1987) and The Krays (1990). Since then she has appeared in a variety of roles including as an investigating officer in Peter Moffat’s hit 2009 BBC drama Criminal Justice. She has also written and directed her own screenplays.
Christina (Susan Lynch)
Christina is the family babysitter who claims to have been 15 when Paul Finchley had sex with her. She came forward with her claim after Rebecca and is one of the key prosecution witnesses.
The Northern Irish actress has appeared in a variety of film, theatre and TV roles but is perhaps best known to TV viewers for her role as Alison Garrs – the mother of tragic Darryl – in the second series of Happy Valley.
from Radio Times https://ift.tt/2H61mr8
