Hot Picks: Reunion

Warp Films’ four-parter Reunion follows a deaf man, released from prison after 10 years, who embarks on a journey to unravel the truth behind the events that led him there in the first place. The story unfolds as the ex-con – a British Sign Language (BSL) speaker – attempts to reintegrate into the deaf community and reunite with his estranged daughter.

Written by Sheffield-born deaf screenwriter, director and former See Hear producer William Mager, who also serves as an executive producer, the series stars deaf actor Matthew Gurney in the leading role – his first on primetime TV – alongside big hitters Anne-Marie Duff and Eddie Marsan.

BBC Studios commercial director for scripted Kate Woods says the show is unique because a bilingual drama of this scale, combining BSL and spoken English, has never been done before on British TV.

“With talent like William Mager at the heart of the show, it has a real authenticity when it comes to the portrayal of deaf characters and the deaf community,” she says.

“But that is not the only thing the show is. At its heart, it is a brilliant thriller that just so happens to feature hearing and non-hearing people.”

“The thriller aspect will be a really great way for viewers who aren’t familiar with BSL to enter that world for the first time”

Woods suggests the use of BSL lends itself to an even more “heightened” sense of drama and tension throughout the series. “In many ways, the silence on screen brings an added edge,” she says.

“I remember being absolutely mesmerised by Matthew Gurney from the moment I started watching his initial casting tapes. There is a palpable energy he brings to that silence. The thriller aspect will be a really great way for viewers who aren’t familiar with BSL to enter that world for the first time.”

The show was made by a highly diverse crew, with many non-BSL speakers learning the language for the first time. “There was a lot of thought about how to make the experience a good one for everyone involved,” says Woods.

As well as other “exciting” names on screen – including Rose Ayling-Ellis (Code Of Silence) and Lara Peake (How To Have Sex) – Woods points to the involvement of Warp Films, which is behind Channel 4’s The Virtues and upcoming Netflix real-time crime drama Adolescence, as well as acclaimed feature films such as This is England and Four Lions.

“With its history of film-making, Warp brings a very high-end cinematic and atmospheric feel to the series,” Woods says.

“It helps Reunion feel very different to anything else on our slate – almost like watching a great film rather than a TV drama.”

Woods says Reunion is among several shows on BBC Studios’ slate that bring a new twist to well-trodden territory.

“We are focusing more on how to find the next iteration of a genre,” she says, highlighting shows including Mitford sisters drama Outrageous as a “new and fun” way into period, and Death Valley as a new take on cosy crime, with high-end talent including Timothy Spall.

“We are excited by the idea of finding innovations that allow us to do things we’ve seen before in a new way,” Woods says. “When it is harder than ever to win commissions, we must make sure we are taking the very best [ideas] out to the global market.”