Could Beecham House be the new Downton?
Beecham House, ITV’s big new costume drama, will begin on Sunday 23rd June at 9pm, the broadcaster has announced.
Vanity Fair’s Tom Bateman, Downton Abbey’s Lesley Nicol and Hustle’s Marc Warren will star in the six-part period piece.
Set on the cusp of the 19th century in Delhi before British rule in the region, the drama follows the residents of an imposing mansion, Beecham House.
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Haunted by his past, dashing ex-solider John Beecham (Tom Bateman) is the rich owner of Beecham House.
However, John is a mysterious figure and speculation is rife when he arrives at the house with a child named August and two Indian nursemaids, Chanchal (Shriya Pilgaonkar) and Maya (Trupti Khamkar).
The gossiping servants wonder if John is the child’s father and whether the beautiful Chanchal is the boy’s mother?
Other key characters include John’s formidable mother Henrietta (Lesley Nicol) and Samuel Parker (Marc Warren), a friend of John who’s on a mission to find his long lost brother. Plus, Mr Selfridge actor Gregory Fitoussi plays General Castillon, a French mercenary, whose suspicious of John and plans to thwart his plans to get a trading licence.
Co-creator Gurinder Chadha, whose credits include Bend It Like Beckham, said: "Beecham House is a passion project that is driven by my commitment to telling diverse, emotionally engaging stories for mainstream international audiences."
She added: “I grew up with Raj dramas like Jewel in the Crown, The Far Pavilions and A Passage To India. Beecham House is my chance to tell those stories from a British Asian perspective.”
Beecham House starts on ITV on Sunday 23rd June at 9pm. The second episode will follow on the Monday night at 9pm.
