New Worlds / Credit: Channel 4Channel 4's new historical drama New Worlds is to broadcast this April, with a cast including Fifty Shades of Grey's Jamie Dornan, Joe Dempsie and Freya Mavor of Skins fame and Alice Englert from Beautiful Creatures.
The four will take on the roles of four idealists during the Restoration period, set in the 1680s as drama unfolds on both sides of the Atlantic.
Hoping for a fairer future, our two lead men and two lead women commit to making their life a better one with a sense of urgency and passion that will see more than a little blood shed.
The prices that people had to pay for the freedoms we all enjoy in the present day are explored, as the story details love and loss.
As we dip into England, we see Charles II (Jeremy Northam) betray the promise of tolerance he gave when coming into power, as he reverts to tyranny and allows torture, summary executions and show trials to take place.
The Countess of Seacourt (Eve Best) resides at Fanshawe House and hopes to protect her daughter Beth (Freya Mavor) from the country that's close to tipping over into chaos.
Jamie Dornan plays idealist Abe / Credit: Channel 4Outlaw and idealist Abe (Jamie Dornan) later breaks into Beth's sheltered world, and she's soon brought down to Earth when he asks if she can live with herself, simply standing by while the liberties won with her father's Civil War blood are destroyed.
In New England, colonists are struggling to throw off the English Crown control and Hope (Alice Englert) and Ned (Joe Dempsie) find themselves on the frontline.
Joe Dempsie steps into the role of Ned / Credit: Channel 4Martine Brant and Peter Flannery wrote and created the series, while Company Pictures produced for Channel 4 following on from their 2008 BAFTA-nominated series The Devil's Whore.
“New Worlds is a compelling four part drama capturing the political struggles of the period following the English Civil War both at home and overseas. The combination of Peter and Martine’s scripts and Charles Martin’s direction has attracted a diverse and glittering cast and we’re greatly looking forward to seeing their work brought to the screen” said Piers Wenger, Channel 4 Head of Drama.
Filming has taken place in both the UK and Romania with Charles Martin directing, and the four 60 minute episodes are expected to broadcast this April on Channel 4.