Inside Man is set to be an unmissable drama

Writers. They can be an enigmatic, elusive lot. While actors and directors hog the limelight, they’re squirrelling away somewhere, coming up with the ideas the stars of the showbiz world will depict on screen.

There’s certainly only a select handful whose names are well known and who have the power to get a project greenlit after merely scribbling down a few notes on the back of an envelope.

The likes of Russell T Davies, Abi Morgan, Jack Thorne and Jed Mercurio spring instantly to mind, and we should also throw Steven Moffat into the mix.

He took over from Davies as Doctor Who’s showrunner having previously written a number of episodes, including Blink, arguably the best adventure since the programme returned to our screens in 2005. He’s since co-created Sherlock with Mark Gatiss, with whom he also revamped Dracula in 2020.

Now he’s reuniting with David Tennant, who played the Doctor in Blink, and Dolly Wells, who starred as two members of the Van Helsing family in Dracula, for his latest production, which also features the always watchable Stanley Tucci.

Moffat has also worked on the four-parter with his wife, Sue Vertue, the daughter of industry legend Beryl Vertue, who passed away last February at the age of 90. Sue, who worked alongside her mother at Hartswood Films for many years, is the show’s executive producer.

“We’re a bit stunned, and very excited, at the acting talent we’re managing to assemble for this show,” say the duo. “This is the best ensemble we’ve ever had the chance to work with. It’s a rare privilege to see scripts come to life as beautifully as this.”

The drama is being co-produced with Netflix, which will make it available in other countries – the Beeb has the rights to its UK broadcast.

“We are very excited to be working once again with Hartswood Films, the BBC and Netflix to bring another fantastic series from Steven Moffat to audiences around the world,” explains Caroline Stone, Director of Independent Drama at BBC Studios.

“Inside Man is set to be an unmissable drama with a hugely talented line-up both on and off screen. From the very successful partnerships we’ve had in the past with Netflix, we are optimistic it will be another hit globally.”

The aforementioned trio play a vicar in a quiet English village, a maths teacher trapped in a cellar and a man on death row in the US whose stories become entwined – according to Netflix’s Chris Sussman, it’s impossible for us to say more “without giving away spoilers… let’s just say the scripts are fiendishly clever”.

Watch out too for Lydia West, another Dracula alumnus who made a major splash in It’s a Sin, among the supporting cast.

“BBC One viewers will already know the television magic created when Steven Moffat writes for David, Dolly and Lydia,” adds Piers Wenger, the BBC’s director of drama. “With the fantastic Stanley Tucci alongside them as our Inside Man, everything is in place for a series that will have the nation gripped.”