Stephen Merchant’s BBC series The Offenders has ‘almost wrapped’ filming in Bristol.
The Bristol born actor-come-director uploaded a picture to Twitter yesterday (May 12) of the all-star cast of the show.
The show follows seven strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence.
The picture shows the likes of Hollywood actor Christopher Walken and Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson, as well as Killing Eve’s Darren Boyd and Honour’s Rhianne Barreto.
The caption reads: “The Offenders Season One is almost wrapped and here’s a first look at our gang. Coming soon to @BBCOne and @PrimeVideo.”
It’s got fans pretty excited for the upcoming series, with one commenting: “Completely sold on this shot alone,” and another adding: “Combining Bristol and Christopher Walken is a beautiful combination I can't wait to see!”
It could be that a second series is on the cards, too, as Merchant made sure to specify 'season one' in his recent post.
It comes as Stephen Merchant and Eleanor Tomlinson were spotted filming a ‘yacht’ scene next to Grain Barge on Hotwell Road last week (May 6).
Filming for the comedy-drama has taken place at various locations across the city, including Clifton Village and College Green, where a huge mock protest was staged.
Merchant plays Greg, who is described as a "lonely lawyer coping with divorce, workplace bullying and scary men with knives" while Walken plays Frank, an inveterate scoundrel trying to reconnect with his family.
The six-parter - which will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK - began filming shortly before the coronavirus pandemic began before resuming in autumn.
Speaking to the BBC about the series, Merchant said: "Like so many other productions, we’d just begun filming when Covid-19 struck and we had to shut down.
"I’m delighted that we’re now finally able to resume filming with this incredible cast and finish this long-standing passion project.
"This is the first series I’ve made in my hometown of Bristol and I’m so excited to showcase the city and utilise the amazing local talent."
An exact release date for The Offenders is not yet known.
