Filming begins on ‘Our Men’ for BBC Two
The BBC has announced former Spooks and Ashes to Ashes star, Keeley Hawes has joined the cast of new Mitchell and Webb comedy-drama, ‘Our Men’.
Set in the fictional Central Asian Republic of Tazbekistan, David Mitchell plays newly arrived British Ambassador Keith Davies and Robert Webb his seasoned second in command, Deputy Head of Mission, Neil Tilly.
They are a team under constant, competing pressures: pressures from London keen to ensure UK PLC don’t miss out on lucrative business contracts in an emerging oil rich nation; pressure from their under-funded, under-resourced embassy struggling to maintain an image of Britain as an important global political heavyweight; and pressure to maintain good relations with a rigid, autocratic local regime with a dubious humans right record.
Keeley Hawes leads the cast as the Ambassador’s wife, Jennifer. Other cast members include: Yigal Naor (House Of Saddam) playing Karzak, the President of Tazbekistan.
Susan Lynch, Amara Karan and Shirvani Ghai make up the key members of Davies and Tilly’s embassy staff: Caitlin – Head of Consular; Isabel – Trade and Political Secretary, and Natalia – Head of Public Relations.
Natalia Tena (Harry Potter, Game Of Thrones) plays Tanya, Neil’s Tazbek girlfriend who runs the local ex-pat bar. Debbie Chazen (The Smoking Room) appears as the embassy housekeeper, Ludmilla.
Special guest stars confirmed include Tom Hollander (Rev, Pirates Of The Caribbean) as Prince Mark, a minor royal and trade envoy on a key mission to help secure an important oil contract for Britain; Michael Smiley (Good Cop, Ripper Street) as Jackson, a grim-faced vetting officer for the Foreign Office who grills the staff’s loyalty to Queen and country; and Elliot Cowan (Lost In Austen) as Stephen Pembridge, a self-important actor flown in to celebrate the Best of British Festival in Tazbekistan.
The series is written by James Wood (co-creator of Rev) and Rupert Walters (Spooks) and will be produced by That Mitchell & Webb Company & Big Talk Productions for BBC Two. The executive producers are Big Talk CEO Kenton Allen, Luke Alkin, Matthew Justice and David Mitchell, Robert Webb (Big Talk Productions/That Mitchell & Webb Company).
The series is produced by Chris Carey and directed by Jeremy Webb.
‘Our Men‘ is currently filming in the UK and Turkey for broadcast later this year on BBC Two.
