NETFLIX has announced a brand new crime drama from a Bafta-winner.
The new six-part series is promised to be a ‘high-stakes’ triller which was inspired by a remarkable investigation.
Author Neil Forsyth, 46, is known for his work on huge shows such as The Gold and Guilt.
The latter series has won plenty of accolades, including the RTS Scotland Best Drama Award and plenty of Scottish BAFTAs.
But his new Netflix series promises to be his most memorable yet, as it’s based on a real-life case.
Extensive research and interviews were conducted with the many personalities involved in the investigation to bring the drama to life.
It will follow a group of unsuspecting employees from the British Customs department.
They become undercover agents as they attempt to infiltrate some of the most dangerous criminal drug gangs in the UK.
Gushing about the series, Neil admitted: “I’m very excited to be able to tell this incredible story, along with everyone at Tannadice Pictures.
“I think Legends is a fascinating, gripping, unknown British story that deserves to be told in full. I’m delighted that Netflix agreed.”
According to Variety, the logline reads: “In the early 1990s, at the height of the international war on drugs, the government agency in charge of Britain’s borders, Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise, realized that they were losing the battle against drug smuggling. Their solution was extraordinary.
“In a top-secret operation, a small team of British Customs employees were sent undercover. Their task – to infiltrate Britain’s most dangerous drug gangs.”
It added: “They were not trained spies.
“These were ordinary men and women, plucked from ordinary lives around the U.K, put through a basic training regime then told to build new identities in the criminal underworld. These identities were called Legends.”
A representative from Netflix also admitted that the company is delighted with the new partnership.
Mona Qureshia, Director of U.K. content at the streaming giant added: “As such fans of Neil’s ‘The Gold,’ we were immediately excited by the prospect of the extraordinary story of Legends in his hands.
“Transporting us back to 1990s Britain, where the government was losing its battle in what was a global war on drugs, Neil’s scripts introduce us to a compelling ensemble of characters, whose unexpected journeys into the dangerous labyrinth of undercover operations promise a gripping, action-filled series that sits in the best tradition of U.K. crime stories.”
She added: “We can’t wait for ‘Legends’ to come to life on Netflix.”
Other details such as cast announcements are currently light on the ground, but more will be revealed in due course.
Neil is no stranger to working with hughe stars, as both Line of Duty star Mark Bonnar and Downton Abbey actress Phyllis Logan had large parts in Guilt.
Phyllis’ period drama co-star Hugh Bonneville also previously worked with the producer, as he starred as DCI Brian Boyce in The Gold.
Three series of Guilt are currently available to view on BBC iPlayer.
