Narges Rashidi and Joseph Fiennes to lead BBC drama Prisoner 951, a powerful new series that follows the story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe.
Narges Rashidi (Gangs of London, Under The Shadow, The Allegation) and Joseph Fiennes (Dear England, The Handmaid’s Tale, Shakespeare in Love) star in the lead roles of Prisoner 951, a new factual drama based on the extraordinary true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen who was imprisoned and held hostage by the Iranian state for six years, and her husband Richard Ratcliffe who campaigned for justice and her return.
The four-part series, written by Stephen Butchard (This City Is Ours, Five Daughters) and directed by three-time BAFTA award-winner Philippa Lowthorpe (Three Girls, The Crown), will launch on BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year.
It covers Nazanin and Richard’s ordeal which captured the world’s attention, from Nazanin’s arrest at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, to her release and return to the UK six years later.
The announcement is accompanied by first-look images from the series, which tells both the heart-stopping public story which was played out in the media and events behind closed doors.
Prisoner 951 is based on the forthcoming book, A Yard of Sky, written by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe. It is produced by Fremantle’s Dancing Ledge Productions (The Salisbury Poisonings) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
Prisoner 951 was filmed on location in Greece and the UK. Fremantle is handling international sales.
