Annabel Scholey and Colin Morgan star in new thriller Dead and Buried

Filming has commenced on a four-part psychological thriller, Dead and Buried written by Colin Bateman.

The series, commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland and Virgin Media Television in association with All3Media International, will star Annabel Scholey (The Split, The Serial Killer’s Wife, The Salisbury Poisonings) and Colin Morgan (Humans, Belfast, Dead Shot). Additional cast confirmed include Kerri Quinn (Hope Street), Waj Ali (Carnival Row), Owen Roe (Vikings) and Niamh Walsh (The Sandman).

It is produced by Three River Fiction and Vico Films with support from Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and Coimisiún na Meán. Set on the border, the series will film in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland over the coming months.

Outside the supermarket with her young son, Cathy (Annabel Scholey) encounters Michael (Colin Morgan) – the man convicted of the brutal murder of her brother, 20 years earlier. Ignoring the advice of her best friend, Cathy takes to social media, uncovering the successful career and family life Michael has forged for himself since early release from prison, while she grieved for her brother.

Re-traumatised by her past, Cathy instigates a clandestine relationship with the man she despises, embarking on a campaign of harassment and deceit. As Cathy’s obsession grows, dark fantasies of revenge and reality blur as she sets out on a campaign of psychological warfare to destroy Michael’s life.

Colin Morgan says: “I’m delighted to be embarking on Colin Bateman’s dark, funny and compulsive new drama Dead And Buried. There’s a brilliant team working on this and it already feels incredibly exciting, I can’t wait for it to hit the screens and for it to pull viewers along its twisted path.”

Annabel Scholey says: “Cathy is a wonderfully complex character and I’m excited to be bringing her to life and to taking her to dark places with this brilliant team. Laura Way is a director I’ve worked with before and we have a wonderful shorthand, so it’s very exciting to be teaming up again for such a compelling story.”

Colin Bateman (Writer/Executive Producer) says: “Very excited that Dead and Buried is coming to television. It has been a fascinating journey from the original short story, to the one-woman stage show, and now expanded into an exciting four part drama. Although it has changed greatly, the actual conundrum at the heart of the story is universal and timeless – what do you do if you meet someone who has prospered after murdering one of your loved ones? Do you say something? Do you do something? How would you react?”

Eddie Doyle, Head of Commissioning, BBC Northern Ireland says: “Dead And Buried brings together the talents of writer Colin Bateman – the master of twisted plots and black comedy with a fabulous cast including lots of famous faces from Northern Ireland. We are delighted to have Virgin Media Television and All3 Media on board so audiences throughout the UK, Republic of Ireland and further afield can enjoy it when it hits our screens later this year.”

Anthony Nilan, Head of Content Strategy, Virgin Media Television says: “Dead and Buried is a confident, intense and ridiculously fun thriller that we can’t wait for audiences to see. We are thrilled to be partnering with BBC Northern Ireland and All3 Media to bring Colin Bateman’s vision to life with such an exciting cast. The show underpins our commitment to deliver brilliant home-produced drama with a distinct voice that we know viewers will love.”

Ben McGrath, Executive Producer for Three River Fiction says: “Dead and Buried is a gripping ‘edge of the seat’ noir thriller directed by the brilliant Laura Way, and told by a stellar cast led by Annabel Scholey and Colin Morgan. Colin Bateman has threaded his usual dark comedy through the fabric of this intimate portrayal of grief and obsession and we’re thrilled to be bringing such a thought provoking story to the screen.”

Cormac Fox, Executive Producer for Vico Films says: “We are delighted to bring Colin Bateman’s adaptation of his play to life on screen, and to be working with such a brilliant cast and crew, supported by our incredible commissioners and funding partners.”

Dead and Buried is produced by Three River Fiction (Trackers) and Vico Films (Animals, The Young Offenders) in association with All3Media International commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland and Virgin Media Ireland. The drama is written by Colin Bateman (Murphy’s Law, Doc Martin) and directed by Laura Way (Maxine, Blood, The Holiday). It was jointly commissioned by Eddie Doyle, Head of Commissioning for BBC Northern Ireland and Sinead Stimpfig, Lead Commissioner for Virgin Media Television.