FLASH: The BBC, Fremantle and Element Pictures have commissioned The Cage, a new crime drama that pairs Sheridan Smith with Michael Socha.
About the show
– Title: The Cage
– Creator/writer: Tony Schumacher (creator of The Responder)
– Tone: a propulsive heist thriller grounded in an intimate family drama
– Setting: filmed on location across Liverpool and Merseyside
– Platforms: commissioned for BBC iPlayer and BBC One; global distribution by Fremantle
Premise and characters
The Cage follows Leannie (Sheridan Smith) and Matty (Michael Socha) as a small-time scheme unravels into life-changing danger. Leannie is a single mother fighting to keep her family flat; Matty wrestles with compulsive gambling and the pressure to provide. The series treats their choices as human responses to desperate circumstances, where one last job becomes a gamble with everything on the line.
Creative team and production
– Director: Al Mackay
– Executive producers: Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe (Element Pictures); Hilary Martin (Fremantle); Lucy Richer (BBC)
– Producer on the ground: Rebecca Dundon (Fremantle)
– Writer: Tony Schumacher
– Cinematography: Árni Filippusson
Element Pictures, majority-owned by Fremantle, is leading the shoot. The production is aiming for a vivid visual language that presents Liverpool authentically yet with an unexpectedly warm, colorful palette — directional lighting and rich tones to give familiar streets a fresh on-screen identity.
Casting and chemistry
Producers say the casting is geared toward emotional realism and ensemble chemistry rather than star turns alone. Smith and Socha were chosen for their range and the believable rapport they bring to both tense heist sequences and quieter domestic scenes. More casting announcements are expected as filming progresses.
Audience appeal and international prospects
The Cage is being positioned to attract mainstream crime viewers while appealing to international buyers looking for original character-driven drama. The strategy leans on strong lead performances and moral stakes—stories about people pushed to extremes—rather than on formulaic plot devices. Negotiations with international distributors are underway.
What’s next
Filming is in progress in Liverpool and Merseyside. The production team plans further casting and rehearsal updates in the coming weeks as they move through principal photography. Expect more official announcements as the series develops toward completion.
Why it matters
With Tony Schumacher’s writing at the helm and a production team experienced in auteur-driven, commercially minded television, The Cage aims to refresh the crime genre by anchoring a high-stakes heist in the messy, empathetic realities of family life.