Sean Bean Returns to Crime in Gritty BBC Drama ‘This City Is Ours’

The BBC has revealed the first official images from This City Is Ours, an ambitious new crime drama set in Liverpool, with Sean Bean taking centre stage as gang leader Ronnie Phelan. Created by Stephen Butchard, the writer behind The Last Kingdom and The Good Mothers, and directed by BAFTA-winner Saul Dibb, the eight-part series promises an intense exploration of loyalty, love, and betrayal within a world of organised crime.

Filmed on location in Liverpool and Spain, the series follows Michael Kavanagh, played by James Nelson-Joyce, a lifelong criminal whose devotion to the underworld starts to unravel when he falls in love. After years of working under Ronnie Phelan’s leadership, Michael begins to contemplate leaving the business behind, dreaming of a future with Diana Williams, played by Hannah Onslow. But with tensions brewing within the gang and Ronnie hinting at retirement, Michael soon finds himself battling for survival.

The drama intensifies when Ronnie’s ambitious son, Jamie Phelan (Jack McMullen) decides it’s his time to take the reins. With bold plans to modernise the gang’s operations, Jamie’s power play directly threatens Michael’s future. As a lucrative drug shipment disappears, both men are forced into a deadly confrontation—one that could reshape the city’s criminal underworld forever.

Bean, who has carved out a career playing hardened and morally complex figures, looks set to deliver another commanding performance. Best known for roles in Game of Thrones, Time, and Sharpe, the two-time BAFTA winner’s involvement alone elevates the prestige of the project. The supporting cast is equally impressive, featuring Julie Graham, Laura Aikman, Kevin Harvey, and Derry Girls star Saoirse-Monica Jackson.

The project marks a major collaboration between BBC iPlayer, BBC One, and Sony Pictures Television, which will handle global distribution. Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind The Crown and Outlander, brings its signature style of high-calibre storytelling to the series, ensuring This City Is Ours stands among the BBC’s most anticipated dramas of the year.

The series also benefits from financial backing from Liverpool Film Office and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s LCR Production Fund, reinforcing the city’s growing reputation as a prime location for high-profile television projects. The streets of Liverpool will serve as more than just a backdrop, with the city’s distinctive identity shaping the drama’s tone and atmosphere.

For fans of crime sagas like Gangs of London, Peaky Blinders, and Line of Duty, this series promises an intricate story of power struggles, criminal ambition, and personal sacrifice. With Sean Bean at the helm and a cast stacked with rising British talent, This City Is Ours is poised to be a must-watch when it lands on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this spring.