© Channel 4 Stars join Matt Berry's Year Of The Rabbit
Keeley Hawes, Sally Phillips and more head for the 'Victorian-era Sweeney'
Production has started on Matt Berry’s new Victorian era police comedy, with an impressive list of stars joining the cast.
Keeley Hawes, Sally Phillips, Jill Halfpenny, Paul Kaye and Garth Marenghi star Matthew Holness will all be appearing over the six half-hour episodes.
In the series, Berry plays Detective Inspector Rabbit, a hardened booze-hound who’s seen it all, opposite Freddie Fox, who plays his new, hapless, by-the-books partner, and Chewing Gum’s Susan Wokoma as the 'lewd but insightful’ Mabel Wisbech, who becomes the country’s first female officer.
Bodyguard star Hawes plays the mysterious Lydia, Phillips is Princess Juliana of Bulgaria, and Halfpenny features as Rabbit’s ex, the deadly Flora.
Hawes said: ‘Lydia is such an enigmatic character. It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable, bonkers experience.’
Phillips added: ‘I can report that there is literally nothing more pleasurable than playing a haughty, 19th Century, pansexual, Bulgarian autocrat with access to guns. I may have peaked.’
And Halfpenny, above, said: ‘I’m thrilled to be a part of Year of the Rabbit. It's an amazing creative team and I’ve had the best time making it.’
Within the turmoil of the Whitechapel police station, Alun Armstrong plays Chief Inspector Wisbech, below – who is both Rabbit’s boss and Mabel’s father – while Kaye plays Rabbit’s nemesis, DI Tanner.
Also starring in the series are David Dawson, Ann Mitchell, Alistair Petrie and Craig Parkinson.
When the show was officially announced last year – after Chortle first revealed its existence – Channel 4 comedy chief Fiona McDermott said: ‘Imagine The Sweeney in Victorian England and you’re getting close to the heady misguided machismo that runs rife in this series. It’s an amazing vehicle for Matt’s talents and together with Susan and Freddie and the wealth of talent off-camera, we are thrilled to have it on the channel.’
Year of the Rabbit is directed by Catastrophe’s Ben Taylor with scripts by former Veep writers Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil and additional material from Berry.
Year Of The Rabbit is also being made for American broadcaster IFC.
Made by: Objective Fiction
Executive producers: Ben Farrell and Toby Stevens
Producer: Hannah Mackay
Commissioned by: Fiona McDermott for Channel 4
Commissioning editor: Jack Bayles
Published: 30 Jan 2019
