Cameras are rolling in Scotland as BAFTA winning and EMMY nominated Synchronicity Films (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Mayflies, The Cry) begins production on The Young Team, the highly anticipated six-part fictional BBC drama adapted from Graeme Armstrong’s award-winning novel of the same name and directed by award-winning Paul McGuigan (Gangster No.1, Lucky Number Slevin, The Interrogator, Sherlock) for BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland, in association with FOX Entertainment Global, which is also distributing the series worldwide, and Screen Scotland.
Leading the cast are Jakob James Smith (MobLand) as Alan ‘Azzy’ Williams, Connor Newall (28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Mint) as Big Kenzie, Scot Greenan (Half Man, The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping, T2 Trainspotting) as Eck. They are joined by an exceptional group of emerging talent discovered through an open casting process across North Lanarkshire including Beinn Catchpole as Whytey, David Russell as Broonie, Mick Mack as Wee Kenzie, Caiden Henderson-Brown as Addison, Lewis Ray as Danny and Jack Mooney as Wee Toffey. Together they form ‘The YTP’ at the centre of this fearless coming-of-age drama.
Alongside the young ensemble, Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy) and Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) star as two key figures in Azzy’s life: his inspirational headteacher, Mr McGiver and his longsuffering mum, Angela.
Fifteen-year-old Azzy Williams and his pals roam the streets of Airdrie on a Friday night, bottles of tonic wine in hand and techno playing from tinny speakers. Azzy is ready. Ready to smoke, pop pills, drink wine and fight. He longs to become fully initiated into local gang – ‘The YTP’. But when Azzy, determined to prove himself, makes a bold move, a brutal gang conflict ensues with Azzy very firmly at its heart.
On being cast as Azzy, Jakob James Smith says: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be playing Azzy. He’s such a complex character and there’s so much in his story about friendship, belonging and trying to find your place. Getting to film in North Lanarkshire, where the story is rooted, makes it feel even more special. I can’t wait for people to meet Azzy and the rest of the Young Team.”
The Young Team explores friendship, identity, territorial violence and belonging as he and his mates become postcode warriors in a toxic cycle that threatens to consume them. An unflinching look at the realities of addiction and gang violence, this ambitious series will tell a powerful story about the realities of life for young, disenfranchised people, and the fight for a different future.
Creator and writer, Graeme Armstrong, says: “The casting process by Synchronicity Films and Des Hamilton has been incredible to see coming alive. With both authenticity of language and a real sense of place at the forefront, they’ve built an amazingly talented group of young Scottish actors who, working with director Paul McGuigan on his homecoming project, will deliver something really special.”
Director and executive producer, Paul McGuigan, adds: “The Young Team has brought me back to direct in Scotland for the first time in 30 years and I can’t think of a more fitting way to mark my professional homecoming. It’s a privilege to work with our Young Team cast, an exciting new generation of working-class talent selected from an open audition process that saw over 1,000 young people apply. I cannot wait to see our Young Team characters come to life, as we bring Graeme’s iconic novel to the screen."
Claire Mundell, Founder, Creative Director and executive producer on the series says: “Graeme’s extraordinary novel is raw, fearless and full of heart and we’re incredibly proud to be bringing this unapologetically Scottish story to the screen. Seeing such an exciting new generation of Scottish talent emerge alongside established names, and with Paul McGuigan at the helm, is so special. Together with our partners at the BBC and BBC Scotland, Fox Entertainment Global and the invaluable support of Screen Scotland, we’re excited to bring this story to life with the authenticity it deserves.”
Set and filming in North Lanarkshire, The Young Team (6 x 60’) was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, and Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Scotland. The series is created and co-written by the novel’s author Graeme Armstrong with Gillian Roger Park (writing episodes 2 and 4) and Robert Florence (writing episode 5). Paul McGuigan will direct episodes 1-3 and Andrew Cumming will direct episodes 4-6. Executive producers are Claire Mundell, Paul McGuigan, Adrian Burns and Deanne Cunningham for Glasgow-based Synchronicity Films, Gaynor Holmes for the BBC, Gavin Smith for BBC Scotland and Kieran Hannigan for Screen Scotland. The producer is Brian Coffey.
The Young Team is being made with development and production support from Screen Scotland, and in association with FOX Entertainment Global, which is also distributing the series worldwide. Further casting will be announced in due course.
Background
The Young Team is part of a growing list of BBC dramas from Scotland, including Counsels, Sutherland, Shetland, Half Man, Rebus and Vigil.
For further information, please contact:
SJ Peyton | Premier | [email protected]
[email protected]
About Synchronicity Films
Synchronicity Films is an Emmy and Grammy-nominated production company owned and run by BAFTA-winning producer, executive producer and CEO Claire Mundell and COO Adrian Burns. Synchronicity has a reputation for high-quality adaptations of critically acclaimed IP such as the Sunday Times / New York Times bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz, now a major 6part original Sky and Peacock series. With an investment in telling real-life stories, Synchronicity followed the drama with the release of the feature documentary The Tattooist’s Son: Journey to Auschwitz, which marked the company’s first foray into unscripted content.
Other television credits include an adaptation by Andrea Gibb of Andrew O’Hagan’s Mayflies produced for BBC One, and psychological thriller The Cry, adapted from Helen FitzGerald’s novel by Jacquelin Perske, also for BBC One.
The company is also active in film with credits including Karen Gillan's The Party's Just Beginning; BIFA / BAFTA nominated Only You by Harry Wootliff; and Andrew Haigh’s debut film Weekend.
Upcoming projects include Careless, an Australian co-production coming soon to Channel 4 and Stan, and an adaptation of Graeme Armstrong’s The Young Team for the BBC and FOX Entertainment Global.
About FOX Entertainment Global
FOX Entertainment Global is FOX Entertainment’s centralized content sales division, providing the worldwide multi-platform marketplace with exclusive access to its diverse, rapidly expanding production pipeline and library of owned original programming and co-production partnerships.
A central component of FOX Entertainment’s long-term growth strategy is to fortify its globally recognized, world-class brand and owned distribution platforms spanning broadcast and streaming with FOX Entertainment Global’s singular focus on broadly distributing the company’s full portfolio of owned intellectual property across all genres of scripted, unscripted and animated programming, including both film and television titles.
About Screen Scotland
Screen Scotland drives development of all aspects of Scotland’s film and TV industry, through funding and strategic support.
Screen Scotland is part of Creative Scotland and delivers these services and support with funding from Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Find out more at screen.scot and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.