Three hour-long thrillers make up Kidnap and Ransom, a new ITV drama series starring Trevor Eve and due to start on Thursday 13 January 2011. When businesswoman Naomi Shaffer (played by Emma Fielding) is kidnapped in South Africa, expert hostage negotiator Dominic King (played by Trevor Eve) believes the answer is straightforward, just pay the money and get her back. But when the release is botched and they strike again in Britain, the kidnapper Alexander Willard’s (played by John Hannah) motives become more sinister.
Dominic King is also having problems at home with his wife Sophie (played by Natasha Little) and teenage daughter Tess (played by Laura Greenwood). He takes some of this out on his boss Angela (played by Helen Baxendale) and ambitious assistant Carrie (played by Amara Karan).
Shot on location in South Africa, the series was created by scriptwriter Patrick Harbinson, who has also worked on 24, Law and Order and ER.
The Actors in Kidnap and Ransom
Trevor Eve first came to fame playing Bill Davenport in 1977’s London Belongs to Me and 1980’s Shoestring. More recently, he played Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in Walking the Dead and Peter Manson in Bouquet of Barbed Wire.
Helen Baxendale was Dr Claire Maitland in Cardiac Arrest and Emily Waltham in Friends. She also played Pandora Braithwaite in Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years and Rachel Bradley in Cold Feet. More recently, she was Susan Way in Dirk Gently.
Scottish actor John Hannah played Batiatus in Spartacus: Blood and Sand and is about to reprise the role in Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. In 1995, he was DS Frank Drinkall in Out of the Blue and Dr Iain McCallum in McCallum. He also played Dr John Rebus in Rebus, Robert Dalgety in MDs and Jack Roper in New Street Law. Film credits include Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors.
Trevor Eve’s wife Sharon Maughan plays Jane Wickenham, the boss of the kidnap victim. She first came to fame back in 1973 as Rachel Rosing in Shabby Tiger. Later, she played Kate Burton in The Enigma Files, Edith Dombey in Dombey & Son and Anne Lacey Fletcher in By the Sword Divided. More recently, she was Tricia Williams in Holby City.
Laura Greenwood was Holly Saviour in My Life as a Popat, Grace Penwarden in Echo Beach and Alexandra Porter in Strike Back. More recently, she played Vicky Brolin in Identity.
Also appearing are Tumisho Masha as Inspector Clive Lanning, Scott Sparrow as Frank Egan, Bandile Mbana as Samuel and Damien Snyders as Mikey.
The Team Behind Kidnap and Ransom
Kidnap and Ransom is the first drama to come out of Trevor Eve’s production company, Projector Pictures, while in partnership with Talkback Thames. Sara Geater, CEO of Talkback Thames, said in the official ITV press release: "It's a pleasure to be working with Trevor Eve, his talents as one of the country’s leading actors coupled with his editorial vision, combined with a stunning script, make Kidnap and Ransom a thrilling and hugely exciting new drama."
The show was commissioned by ITV1’s director of drama commissioning Laura Mackie and controller of drama commissioning Sally Haynes. “Kidnap and Ransom is a fascinating, unpredictable and gripping thriller and we’re delighted to be working with Trevor’s production company on such an exciting project,” said Laura Mackie in the ITV press release.
Executive producers are Trevor Eve, Jonathan Young and Rachel Gesua. The producer is Trevor Hopkins and the director is Andy Wilson.
Steve Rogerson - Steve Rogerson is a UK-based writer specialising in television, technology, sports and beer.
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