ITV has commissioned a star-studded four-part drama based around the Great Fire of London, which raged for four days in September 1666, burning down large swathes of the city.
Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch) will star as Thomas Farriner, owner of the family bakery in Pudding Lane where the great fire started early on the morning of Sunday, September 2. Thomas is central to the drama which is based upon existing historical knowledge with fictional stories cleverly interwoven by novelist Tom Bradby (pictured), ITN's political editor.
The fire occured against the decadent backdrop of King Charles II's court. Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) plays the King, while Daniel Mays (Mrs Biggs) plays famous 17th century diarist Samuel Pepys, a close confidante of the monarch who dared to tell him 'he was consumed by the pursuit of pleasure'.
The Great Fire will be shown over four consecutive days and also stars Rose Leslie (Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones) as Thomas Farriner's fictional sister-in-law Sarah and Charles Dance as the King's emissary Lord Denton.
Executive producer Douglas Rae said: "In 1666 London was the greatest city in the world with a population of 300,000. In just four days The Great Fire destroyed nearly half the city and threatened the monarchy.
"It's a fascinating premise for a drama and creates the perfect backdrop for Tom Bradby to be at his most creative. We have assembled an amazing cast and production team and we're looking forward to filming Tom's fantastic scripts."
Filming on The Great Fire starts this month.
