A brand new drama will land on Channel 5 on Tuesday, February 21. Desperate Measures, starring Amanda Abbington, Warren Brown and Sunetra Sarker, will kick off at 9pm.
The new series comes hot on the heels of the broadcaster's recent drama, The Catch. Based on T.M. Logan's novel of the same name, the psychological thriller starred Jason Watkins and Welsh actor Aneurin Barnard and was hugely popular among audiences. You can read more about it here.
Desperate Measures will follow diligent bank clerk Rowan, who has raised her teenage son Finn on a lawless estate whilst paying off her absent father's debts. Rowan's life spirals when Finn is coerced into a botched drug deal by a local gang.
With Finn's life on the line and a violent gang leader encroaching on her life, Rowan is faced with recuperating the money that Finn lost. Desperate to save her son and having exhausted all options, Rowan commits to a dangerous heist at the bank she works in.
Rowan is played by Amanda Abbington, known for Wolfe, Mr Selfridge, I Hate Suzie, and Sherlock, you can read more about Amanda here. Warren Brown (The Responder, Trigger Point, Strike Back) stars as Rowan's ex-partner Patrick, a career criminal who she reconnects with in order to help Finn.
Meanwhile, Sunetra Sarker (Casualty, Ackley Bridge, Cold Feet) stars as Varisha, Rowan's loyal best-friend and co-worker. And newcomer Jesse Cescatti-McFarlane stars as Rowan’s son Finn.
Here's everything you need to know about the new Channel 5 drama Desperate Measures, from the cast to the location and how many episodes to expect.
When does Desperate Measures start on Channel 5?
Desperate Measures kicks off on Tuesday, February 21 at 9pm on Channel 5. The launch episode is one hour long, ending at 10pm.
The second episode will air the following day, Wednesday, February 22. The following instalments will continue to air at the same time on the same channel for the rest of the week.
What is Desperate Measures on Channel 5 about?
A synopsis for the series reads: "When Rowan’s son Finn gets embroiled with a dangerous gangster, Rowan’s pushed to the absolute limit to pay off Finn's debts. As her options narrow and with Finn's life on the line, Rowan realises that her only hope in getting the money on time is to rob the bank where she works. She cannot do this alone, and must recruit the services of people she thinks she can trust. With time running out, Rowan is forced to risk everything, including her own life, in order to save Finn."
Channel 5's Desperate Measures full cast list
Amanda Abbington plays Rowan Taylor
Sunetra Sarker plays Varisha Singh
Jesse Cescatti-McFarlane plays Finn Taylor
Warren Brown plays Patrick
Francis Magee plays Mal Taylor
Seb Cardinal plays Clive Powell
Jonathan Nyati plays Detective Simmons
Gábor Nagypál plays Kristof
Harry Rose plays Conor
Lejuan Sheppard plays Trevor
Sam Rumbelow plays Steve
Matt Devere plays Police Officer Evans
Jeremy Wheeler plays Pawn Shop Owner
Roderick Hill plays I.T. Guy
Raid Matwi plays Deano
Where was Desperate Measures on Channel 5 filmed?
The series is set in Manchester but was predominately filmed in Budapest. Speaking about filming there, actress Amanda said: "It was weird filming in Budapest in a way, because in everybody's head we were in Manchester, that was quite a funny shift. But the building that we filmed in was amazing – this very, very old, cavernous place, with loads of layers.
"It was a real bank with a proper vault and when the production team went on the recce they got locked in, which would have terrified me because I'm really claustrophobic, I am not good with small spaces at all. They were there for about an hour and a half; I would have had a meltdown! But I always love filming in places like that where it's really authentic, it makes the job a lot easier."
How many episodes of Desperate Measures on Channel 5 are there?
Desperate Measures is a four-part series with the episodes airing consecutively on the channel this week at 9pm. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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