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This City is Ours is the story of Michael (James Nelson-Joyce), a man who for all of his adult life has been involved in organised crime…but for the first time in his life, Michael is in love. For the first time in his life, he sees beyond the day-to-day, he sees a future: something to win and something to lose - Diana (Hannah Onslow).

This City is Ours tells the story of Michael and Diana's love affair, set against the disintegration of Michael’s crime gang. For years, together with his friend Ronnie (Sean Bean), Michael has successfully been bringing cocaine into the City and beyond, directly from Columbia; but when a shipment goes missing, then he knows their Kingdom is under attack.

This City explores what happens when Ronnie’s son Jamie (Jack McMullen) decides he wants to inherit their kingdom and that there is no longer a place for Michael at the table. Both Michael and Jamie have bold ideas to modernise the gang and they will battle for control of it. But Michael’s biggest battle will be to save the woman he loves and the child he has always wanted.

This is a story about family and love destroyed and corrupted by ambition, pride and greed. It’s a story about power: what we will do to secure and keep it.

All episodes of The City is Ours launch on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 23 March, with the series beginning its weekly 9pm ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One transmission that night.

• Watch The City is Ours on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iPlayer from Sunday 23 March and add to your watchlist

Interview with Sean Bean (Ronnie Phelan)

What was the experience of filming This City is Ours like for you?

It was one of the most enjoyable series I have been involved with, and I know people say that at the end of working on a particular project, but I can genuinely say I personally did not want it to end. I walked away from the set really upset. I remember feeling this genuine sense of loss, but obviously I had a sense of great satisfaction because this was mould-breaking television.

I’m convinced it will become a classic piece of drama. It is very well written and structured, everything you see in episode one resonates in the whole series through to episode eight. All the characters are so well defined it was a joy to work on and be a part of.

Many of the cast had worked together before filming. Was this a major plus factor from day one for you?

There was great camaraderie, individually and collectively. I have been fortunate to work with some of the lads before, and (writer) Stephen Butchard is someone I hugely respect and admire.

I can promise fans of crime dramas that this series takes it to another level. That is what appealed to me when I first read the scripts. By page nine I knew I wanted to be Ronnie. He is someone eyeing up retirement, just as a rival gang organisation are preparing to attack.

This is a story about a family on the verge of being destroyed by ambition, pride and greed. There has not been anything like it before and I’m very pleased that I have been a part of it. I want it to have a long future - everyone involved in it deserves success.

There was another star you want to pay tribute to - an old friend of sorts?

Liverpool, the city itself, is always a joy to visit and work in. It is a special place and has been good to me and it has a special place in my heart. The people welcome you with open arms and that makes things so much easier for any production crew. They are respectful that you have a job to do and let you get on with it.

They are proud to have you in their city, using their home as a location is recognition of its appeal. They are also grateful that the city’s economy benefits from being one of the most used places to film.

The city looks brilliant on film, from the waterfront to Chinatown, and across to the Wirral, where Ronnie lives. This City is Ours is a great title in many ways because it is defiant and triumphant.

Was there a buzz on the first day of filming?

Having a happy cast and crew in place is a sure sign you are all feeling the same thing, and yes, there was a buzz.

Jack McMullen, who plays my son Jamie, is a real talent and I can see great things ahead for him in the future. He is a very thoughtful, hard-working actor who takes his job seriously, as does James Nelson-Joyce, who I have worked with before. James plays my best friend Michael Kavanagh. And then there’s the talented Hannah Onslow as his partner Diana, and Julie Graham as my wife, Elaine.

The producers deserve special praise for assembling a wide-ranging, talented cast that shines in every way.

A drama needs some relief from the tensions. Does humour have a big part to play in the series?

It is set in Liverpool, which is renowned for its sense of humour. It has a lot to do with how people say things. The humour isn’t obvious – a remark here or there or a put down, too. They are naturally funny people who are sharp witted.

With someone like Stephen (Butchard), with his track record, you could see where things were going in episode one and anticipating what would come to fruition.

The language of the gangsters is very much to the point and to make something humorous is where the skill of the writers comes in and the art of the actors to deliver it.

There is an ongoing theme in the series of the need for change. Would you agree the series is about repercussions?

When I first received the script my immediate reaction was I have got to be in this. It is brutal – but it is very real. I knew I could contribute something to the character of Ronnie. I could picture him and this was by only page nine.

In a short space of time, leafing through the first episode, I could see it was profound, funny, shocking and sinister, but very real. I read the rest of the pages and was hooked.

Ronnie contemplates retirement as a drug lord and this is the catalyst for his son to see about his job, while his own friend Michael wants out too. The main motivation for Michael’s change is that he has fallen in love and wants to be a dad above all else.

The title hints at so many things. This City is Ours looks at possession, ownership, control and defiance. All these scenarios mean taking drastic actions and they have repercussions. They are trapped by their own successes of overseeing drug territories and the constant corruption of power that inevitably surround it.

Which do you prefer - good guy or baddie?

I like the crime genre. Series such as Peaky Blinders and Line of Duty. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ do them well. I found this to be different, because it is not from the police point of view, but from the villains’ perspective, and we get to know why they do what they do. It is not gratuitous violence, the storylines are better than that.

I’m sure viewers find the villains more interesting than the good guys. They are certainly interesting to play, and I have played my fair share. I do like silences and pauses. Someone once wrote that my many silences, where I said nothing, spoke volumes. They did not realise that those were moments where I was just trying hard to remember my lines!

If you had to sum up this city is ours in three words, what would they be?

Unique. Exciting. New.

Unique - because it stands out in a strong field. Exciting - because you will be on the edge of your seat. New - because the storytelling is so fresh.

At the end of the day, it’s a love story - but not your normal romance, it’s a brand new love story for now. People watching are going to love it, too.

Interview with James Nelson (Michael Kavanagh)

You have been in some of the most critically-acclaimed TV dramas of recent years. Do you have a gut instinct when it comes to a script you are sent? What did your gut tell you about This City is Ours?

I knew I wanted to be in it straight away. I can honestly say it’s been an honour, and I’m not using that word lightly. I felt privileged to be offered a part in something that I really wanted to be a part of. And I really wanted to do it justice.

It’s got everything - loyalty, friendship, shock value, and the surprising key theme throughout of real love all set against a very real crime world.

I play Michael Kavanagh, who works for and with drug lord Ronnie Phelan, played by Sean Bean. They are life-long friends, but for the first time in his life, Michael falls in love – it’s never happened to him before now and that leads to him thinking about a crime-free future.

The dilemma is a life-changing one, whether he will he take over from Ronnie or not. Ronnie is hinting about retiring, and his son Jamie (Jack McMullen) wants the crown. There is a power struggle between Michael and Jamie, who have their own distinct plans. Real conflict.

You’ve played a number of unlikeable characters – violent men with no saving graces. Is Michael Kavanagh, despite being a hard man, a departure from these out and out villains?

Some of the people I have played are out and out nasty characters, but Michael has so many layers.

The complex character of Michael is someone I knew I could work on. I think viewers will like him and probably feel guilty about it after some of the things he has done.

He’s fallen in love for the first time, and he likes it. He wants it to work and needs it to work.

The truth is he wants to change, and the driving force is that he can see the bigger picture with a better life, but he has to weigh up the pros and the cons.

You say you enjoy surprising people, and that playing nasty characters is the flip side of you. Friends and colleagues say you are not remotely like some of the people you have played – is that accurate?

Yeah, I am the complete opposite. You won’t find a more sensitive person than me – so that’s a compliment when people meet me out and about and expect to see this horrible person.

It is proof that I am hopefully doing a decent job in playing characters, sometimes so far removed from me - an actor from Liverpool.

I do enjoy seeing people’s reaction when they expect to see this hard man in front of them.

I often go out walking down the street with my two little chihuahua dogs and people stop me and say hello. I really am one of the nicest people you could ever meet.

What was it about this drama that ticked your boxes? Was there any special elements that sold it to you?

I like cliffhangers – I want to be kept in anticipation. When we were discussing scripts with fellow cast members, it was always the same with all of us – we were all wondering what would happen next. A guessing game between us all.

We would predict scenes, but we were often way out with the story’s twists and turns. That’s bound to be good for viewers. After all, we are in it, and if we didn’t know what was coming next, then the audience certainly won’t. We would sit there, shake our heads, smile, and say at the same time, ‘Well, we didn’t see that coming.’

Are there aspects of Michael in your personality. Anything that you tapped into?

I am someone who learns by his mistakes and then acts upon it. We all make wrong decisions, and there are times when you have to rely on instinct.

I’m able to deal with embarrassments and laugh at myself – we all need that. We all need to put things and situations in perspective.

Michael has to make the biggest decision of his life and he knows the repercussions - he knows he could sink or swim. What could be this massive security could also be a liability. He is focused, and I have become focussed over the years with the help of a lot of people.

Michael’s resounding gamble in his life is turning his back on crime. Are you a risk taker?

I took risks at school that led me to where I am now. I wanted to impress my school teacher, and it worked out because she encouraged me to do drama. I could be myself in acting.

I remember doing a monologue about someone losing their dog. I grew in confidence and that confidence helped me at the Italia Conti drama school in London, which was good for me and opened many doors.

Do you believe in fate - is your destiny mapped out for you?

It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. Meeting inspirational people has without doubt inspired me along the way.

It was tough at the start of my acting career because I had to find the money to attend auditions. I did a lot of those – you keep at it. I have known Jack McMullen, who plays Jamie, for more than 10 years. He knows all about that side of acting, too.

We first met when we started a football team on Whatsapp for actors and musicians who were out of work. It was an 11-a-side team for friendly matches - so we had plenty of players.

It’s so good to look back on those days, two Scouse actors in London, and to see where we are now.

Everyone has praised the scripts. Are you a fan of your fellow Liverpudlian, Stephen Butchard?

Stephen knows what he wants from his characters and what he wants them to do. Our craft is to convey that. He writes so well on any subject - you can see early on what shapes the characters.

What motivates these people actually motivates Stephen to produce first-class scripts. Quality runs throughout his pages.

Liverpool is renowned for a breadth of creative talent from writers to actors, directors and producers. Has it played a big part in your success to date?

It’s the best city in the world, and it is home.

Growing up I admired Jamie Carragher, and I wanted to be Liverpool FC captain. And there are actors like Stephen Graham, who is one of those people I look up to in life. He is all about encouragement. Stephen likes to pass on advice. He is a massive inspiration and I have been fortunate to work with him. He told me once that he’s always just a phone call away.

I know he’ll watch and support This City is Ours, and I look forward to hearing what he thinks about it. I want viewers to join us from episode one and stay with us. It will be worth the ride.

Interview with Hannah Onslow (Diana Williams)

What was your first impression when you read Stephen Butchard’s scripts?

Firstly, I loved the scripts. I think we all feel that what Stephen has written - this world and the characters he’s created - feel so specific, rich and very much their own unique thing. Diana has such depth, I really wanted to tell her story. She isn’t like any other role I had read or seen on screen before.

She had to grow up very quickly. She hasn’t had a typical childhood, Diana has a dark history and what I love about her in particular, is that she hasn’t had a ‘normal’ life, but any girl could be Diana and that is one of the things I think that is so clever about how Stephen has written her. The way she interacts with the world and how she wants to appear to the world, you just wouldn’t know. It’s amazing to play someone so complex. She’s an extraordinary character.

Her and Michael’s (James Nelson-Joyce) relationship is very strong, they really do love each other so much. They are both at a big turning point in their life and want to start a family together. I don’t think Diana knew she could ever feel this way about someone, and I think the same goes for Michael. Their relationship is really special, beautifully written and it has been a complete joy to do it with James.

Stephen writes with great depth and sensitivity. For me, the show is all about the relationships, and Stephen has written them with such detail, his writing is incredibly perceptive.

This latest role sees you alongside some of the nation’s best loved actors. You’re in great company?

I’m a big fan of everyone in the cast. I can remember at the readthrough, I was looking at the scripts and then glancing around the room and thinking ‘How lucky am I?’ To be working with these people, and with this script - I am absolutely delighted.

I think I can speak for everyone when I say this, but we all really loved this job, and each other. We also got to kick off filming in Spain, so that helped! Everyone was so professional and experienced, and our casting directors Julie Harkin and Nathan Toth did such an amazing job. It just works - everyone was so talented.

A lot of the cast agree that waiting for each new script was in itself a cliffhanging situation. Did the scripts surprise you when they arrived in your hand?

Oh, yes, one hundred percent. What was going to happen next was all we talked about during and after each shoot. I’ve never been on a set where the crew have also been so invested in the story, I’m pretty sure there was a sweepstake going at one point and you had to put your predictions in! The fact that the crew were so invested, says it all really.

How did you find speaking with the Scouse accent?

I loved it. I love the accent so much, I think it’s gorgeous. I did a lot of work on it, I had a wonderful accent coach Helen Ashton who was always there if I needed her and she helped me with the real specificities of the accent. I also had a set of recordings on my phone and had my own catalogue of videos that I collated, but luckily I was just around so many scousers on set so if there was anything I was struggling with, help was always on hand, and scousers will always tell you the truth! It also helped just being in Liverpool and soaking it all up. It’s an amazing city.

Why should people watch This City is Ours?

It is a drama that I can honestly say I have never seen on television before. There is something for everyone and I think although the show heavily explores a really brutal world, it also has enormous heart.

How would you sum up the series in three words?

My words would be - smart, sexy and mega. Everyone should expect the unexpected.

Interview with Jack McMullen (Jamie Phelan)

What was it about the scripts that stood out for you?

I've been an admirer of Stephen's work for a long time. He's really good at setting up relationships and he creates gripping, punchy storylines that are expertly woven. He is a brilliant storyteller. There's a real Shakespearean theme throughout the series as we follow these stories of love and family as they play out in such a brutal, violent world. The stakes are high throughout, and it makes for a really compelling watch.

When the scripts arrived, it was exciting. With all good scripts - especially character-driven ones - you need to buy into those characters and invest in them. Every character is flawed and that's what makes it interesting. Stephen keeps us guessing where our allegiances should lie.

Does it make you proud to see Liverpool being used yet again as a major location in a big ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ drama series?

People love to see cameras on the streets and in communities where they live. They come up and ask you questions like ‘What’s it all about? Who is in it?’ It feels like they want to support it. When we were filming in Liverpool people were curious and it caused a bit of a buzz. I was the same when I was growing up here, I would hear something was filming here and I'd want to know all about it.

You say there was one major Hollywood star you saw in Liverpool that made you want to take up acting?

I remember coming home from school one day and there was a big crowd outside the chemists down the road. They were filming the UK scenes for the action comedy, The 51st State, in and around Liverpool. I went down to see what was happening and I saw Samuel L Jackson stood in our chippy, it was surreal. Maybe subconsciously that helped me understand at a young age that film isn't this abstract thing, these actors are just normal people.

Sean Bean has said that you and James Nelson-Joyce are multi-talented stars of the future. How does that feel?

That is high praise coming from him. That is typical of Sean - he's so supportive, he's one of us. I grew up watching his work but he's a very humble man and a team player. People like Sean are the type of actors you want with you in a series of this scale. He is a phenomenal actor.

James is one of my closest friends and we've known each other for years. We met at a football game in London and worked at the same gym together. We were still cutting our teeth back then and would have never dreamed we'd end up doing a job like this together. I'm also really good friends with Bobby Schofield (Bonehead) and a few of the other cast, which was a real advantage. When you start a new project you are usually thrown together with strangers and have to bond quickly, so it really helped that there were relationships there already.

What three words would you say sum up the recurring themes of this new drama?

Loyalty. Betrayal. Ambition. We spent many months filming in Liverpool and Spain to bring the series alive, and I am over the moon with what we have all achieved. I hope audiences will be too.

Interview with Julie Graham (Elaine Phelan)

You have played so many different characters on TV and film in a career spanning four decades. What stood out about Elaine Phelan in this drama?

It is a crime drama like nothing else on TV. I know the cast all agree on that, too. It’s a drama series with mileage and longevity. There are eight episodes, and I would bite their hands off to make more. We all felt like that, and we still do.

When I read the initial scripts, I realised just how well Stephen Butchard writes for women, and Elaine is a very strong, self-assured character who has her own ambitions. She knows where the bodies are buried, so to speak.

I feel lucky that I was considered for the part in the first place and now that we have seen what has emerged, audiences are in for a real surprise. We couldn’t wait for the final scripts to arrive, we were all dying to know what happened next.

Elaine is the high-powered wife of the gangland boss Ronnie (Sean Bean), and mum to loose cannon son Jamie (Jack McMullen). Is she the glue that keeps the Phelans together?

Elaine is a wife and mother and that is what drives her before anything else. She is the heart of the Phelans. Family is everything to her and it comes before business and that is non-negotiable.

Elaine is well respected and does not suffer fools, and she can and does call the shots when she has to. She has enough on her plate with husband Ronnie thinking of retiring, taking a back seat, and her son Jamie, meanwhile, is sucking the life out of the family with his ambitions to take over the mantle from his dad.

The question is, can he do it? The stakes are very high. Or will Ronnie’s best friend Michael (James Nelson-Joyce) be better? There is a lot of wrangling.

Did the scouse accent come naturally to you?

It’s a place with strong working-class traditions, just like Glasgow, Belfast and Newcastle. The accents are passed on through each generation. These accents reflect strong identities.

I am very fond of Liverpool, so much so that I have worked in the city six times now. I know that you get a real welcome in Liverpool, and if the locals can help you then they go out of their way. It is always a joy to film there, and of course the drama is called This City is Ours – a very Liverpudlian trait.

I love the architecture there, too. We filmed in a little church in Toxteth called St Philip Neri with so much history, a hidden gem, and the city is full of them.

The Phelans have a nice lifestyle, don’t they?

The Phelans live in a beautiful house, as you would expect, in the Wirral. There you see what wealth Ronnie has. We also had five weeks filming in an opulent villa in Spain. You see the life they don’t want to lose.

It was such a wonderful cast and crew that, in Spain especially, I’d forgotten we were working. We had an absolute ball, you had to pinch yourself that you were not on holiday.

Just as you have the metropolis of Liverpool, you then have the contrasting picturesque scenery and climate of Spain.

You say the casting could not have been better. Was it a dream team?

Sean Bean is a big star and such a lovely, quiet man, too. He had time for everyone, and I know how much he rates this drama.

The cast is made up of young stars and older names. It’s a perfect balance because you have different ages and backgrounds who clicked from the beginning. You will know a lot of faces from stage, TV and film and we all gelled from day one.

Filming in Spain (the first scenes to be filmed) was the real icebreaker, it was a lovely way to get to know each other and our characters. It was the most wonderful bonding experience to be honest. And we danced a lot. I know the series will reflect that chemistry.

Do you think This City is Ours is one of those dramas that you will want to stay with from episode one?

I have been impressed at how everyone has a description for it. Someone said it’s ’a roller coaster ride’ and I like that. Someone else said it’s a ‘Scouse Sopranos.’

It becomes quite addictive, and if you watch episode one you will want to see it through to episode eight. You will soon become addicted to these characters, there are no weak links.

Interview with Stephen Butchard (Creator, Writer and Executive Producer)

A drama series set in Liverpool is something you have had on a back burner for many years and it has finally made it onto the screen. A key factor is the city of Liverpool. Would you agree it is a supporting star in its own right?

Yes. It is a metropolis. It is a cinematic, international, good-looking city. A beautiful place in the daylight and at night. I would be quite happy to say on the credits: ‘And starring . . . Liverpool. ‘

The idea for the drama is something I thought about five years ago, and the series eventually fell into place. Liverpool is a location that will lend itself to any genre. There is a ‘can do’ attitude in everyone.

The Liverpool Film Office have that attitude. Nothing is too much trouble - we talk to them, and they listen. They say ‘Yes’ – now that is always good to hear.

People in the street come up and ask the cast and crew ‘What are you are making?’ They are curious for the right reasons, asking ‘Who is it by and who is starring in it’ They are proud of their city.

You say one simple three letter word sums up the attitude of Liverpool people have when film crews come to the city.

Yes. That word is YES. The people are happy to help. Nothing is too much trouble for them when their city is on show.

It reminds me of John Lennon’s first encounter with Yoko Ono. John went along to an exhibition in London and there was a ladder leading to a ceiling. John cautiously climbed it and when he got up there it simply said ‘YES.’ It was that ideology that impressed him. John might have expected the word ‘NO’.

John once sang about having no problems - just solutions. Well, that collective ‘yes’ from the city of Liverpool and the people who live and work there says it all. They are proud. I feel the same pride when I see the city portrayed on screen.

You have written many historical dramas and award-winning period pieces. How different is it writing contemporary TV screenplays set in the modern day?

It is down to the characters, no matter where something is set. You must make sure people can buy into them otherwise it just becomes a series of events.

Whether they are in a cloak or wearing a cape or a suit. It is the character that you should care about and invest in.

Betrayal, greed, life and death. All are dominant themes in the series. It sounds like the prologue for a Shakespearean classic drama.

You can add to that some more words such as ambition, failure, pride and envy. You will find a lot of it in Shakespeare – just look at Macbeth.

This drama is very much about people chasing dreams. I want viewers to spend time with these people to get to know them and fall in love with them. Yes, fall in love - even if they do some terrifying, brutal, shocking things throughout.

When you start out on any project, do you write with the idea that it could become a long-running series or do you write to what you were originally commissioned for?

I was commissioned to do eight episodes. I did not call it ‘Series One.’ This City is Ours could never have been, say, a film because I would not have had the chance to develop the characters, and they are all important to me.

I don’t sit there saying, ‘Oh this plot will be developed further in series two or three and so on.’

In This City is Ours I set out to write a fantastic story from episode one to episode eight – a tale of real life and real emotions where families are dragged deeper and deeper into confrontation.

I have set it a real world, a chilling mostly unseen universe of organised crime. It is a love story. A story of love and what people will do to seize and hold on to power.

Dramas set in the dark underworld tend to have a lot of dark humour. This City is Ours is set in a place known for its sense of humour. With such a gritty storyline, how do you manage to weave it into the scripts?

Well, people do not go around cracking jokes. Comments and observations are made by the various characters and delivered in a way each of them would naturally say them. You get to know the diverse personalities and how they talk and how they see and joke about things.

We see christenings, weddings and funerals and it’s at these occasions you will hear the humour. Sometimes when people are saying something funny it is the release of a safety valve – to alleviate tension. Gangsters tend to have a glint in their eye when they say ‘Don’t mess with me’, so you don’t. There are plenty of considered pauses and nuances.

And the Liverpool accent has a very poetic quality. We have a smart Scouse cast who understand where the humour is - you do not need to tell them.

Drug trafficking, the underworld and the brutality and violence of gang life, yet you maintain This City is Ours is ultimately a love story?

It is a love story between drug dealer Michael (James Nelson-Joyce) and Diana (Hannah Onslow) who are desperately in love with each other, and they want a baby to seal that love.

But how can he leave the drug world behind him? Is the deadline he has set himself of three years to get out enough time?

We look at how they plan to overcome the hurdles in front of them. It is a battle of a different kind for him.

It has a crime drama backdrop but there are no lengthy police procedure scenes – no red herrings, it is not a cop drama. There are people looking over their shoulders because the police could come knocking any time.

I am interested in what motivates our characters, what makes them do what they do and justify their actions. Love is a motivating, powerful force, too.

If you had to sum up the series in one word what would it be?

It’s a story that I believe people have not seen before, and the way we have done it is like nothing else on TV. The way we have approached it from casting to locations is something new for TV.

So, the word for me is ‘Freshness.’

But I do like that word ‘Epic’, too, because it is set in a kingdom. It just happens to be of the modern day, menacing, lucrative and dangerous drug kind.

Interview with Saul Dibb (Lead Director)

Nearly half a century ago a gangster film inspired and won over not only a young Saul Dibb but a global audience. Are you confident your own latest directorial work - which is also about organised crime with a stark difference - will capture our imaginations?

Oh, yes, that was Bugsy Malone back in 1976. I was an eight-year-old filming things on my dad’s Super 8 camera – he was a documentary maker - and it blew me away. Alan Parker’s film made a lasting impact on me - and has on my kids too. You can see on screen that everyone is giving one hundred per cent and that they had a great time making it. This City Is Ours is obviously very different in tone (it’s definitely not for kids!) but I’d like to think it shares those qualities, too.

As a director, how important is to see that everyone is on board with presenting a story that has something new and relevant to say in the popular crime drama genre?

It’s massively important, and I can say that having been on sets - earlier on in my career and thankfully not that many - where there hasn’t been that feeling and it makes a huge difference. I felt so excited to be making This City Is Ours and hoped everyone else in the cast and crew was. Along with producer Simon Maloney - who was the rock that held the whole series together, and I cannot speak highly enough of - we really wanted to create a positive atmosphere on and off set for everyone involved.

I fell in love with Liverpool and the city. Liverpool people make it easy for you to work there, they are funny, talented, committed and passionate and are excited to be telling a story set in their city with the well-known - and soon to be well-known - stars that come with it.

You have a responsibility with subject matter like this not to glamourise it, to be truthful and to humanise it. I felt the same responsibility when I made my first feature film Bullet Boy way back in 2003 with Ashley Walters. That was about gun crime in Hackney but for me it was really about a relationship between two brothers. This is a drama about the drugs underworld but it’s really a love story and a complex family saga. It’s the people at the heart of the story that matter.

What was it about writer Stephen Butchard’s work that appealed to you?

Stephen is a very clever writer, and his script is beautifully constructed with superb dialogue. It is character-led and he has great attention to detail. You get to know and care about the people despite all the terrible things they sometimes do. As a drama it jumped out for me. I could see myself there - I was inside the world. And I felt strongly that I if I applied a convincing and authentic approach to bringing the project to life I could fully realise all the potential I saw in it.

Here we see families clash and collide. We see the choices they make and why they come to the decisions they do. It is a very truthful drama and Stephen works so hard on his character development. There is nothing superficial, cartoonish, flash or obvious. I have heard it has been called the ’Scouse Sopranos’ which is obviously a great compliment. There are also certainly elements of Macbeth layered beneath, which people can choose to see or not. But most of all I do think it’s become its own thing, that it feels different to anything else that’s come out of British television.

The series has an impressive mix of household and up-and-coming stars. Did you know who you wanted to cast from the outset?

As a director you are involved in every creative decision, of which casting is perhaps the single most important area. It's an essential part of my job and I worked closely with the casting director, Julie Harkin, who I’ve collaborated with on many projects and whose taste I trust completely.

Overall you're steering the ship in a certain direction and have to make sure all the departments are moving in line with that to deliver unified performances, look and tone throughout.

As a director, you not only bring your taste and choice of actors to a project, but you're also responsible for creating an environment where they can do their best work, from the recognisable names to the emerging talent. Getting the casting right is crucial. You need big names to anchor an ambitious and international series like this and we have them. There are grandees such as Sean Bean and Julie Graham – who are not only brilliant but very generous people who are always at pains to help and support all the other members of the cast.

James Nelson-Joyce is in his first lead role playing Michael Kavanagh, a man who has known nothing but the drug trade since his teens but has now fallen in love with somebody who is completely outside of it - which inevitably leads to some big decisions with wide repercussions.

James was made for this role - hugely loveable and sensitive but able to turn in an instant to become menacing and violent. He’s also unbelievably striking on screen, with a real movie star face. If there is any justice in the acting world, he will become a household name - as will other members of the predominantly Liverpool cast who are part of a golden generation we were lucky enough to tap into. Working class voices who, I feel, are channelling some of their own stories along the way - ones that have been criminally overlooked for far too long.

This City is Ours looks different…

I’m inspired by the late great Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée, who directed Dallas Buyers Club, and the brilliant French director Jaques Audiard. I like to use exclusively natural light and not traditional film lighting and prefer real locations and streets over building film sets. I don't like being hemmed in and want the actors and camera to have the space to move around whenever we need. I like the freedom to focus on character and performance first and foremost - set against the backdrop of a very real and believable world.

Liverpool is a very photogenic city - from its stunning architecture to its working docks and river to its grimy backstreets - and it’s those contrasts that we wanted to capture. The city itself is a star, and we approached shooting it the way American films have shot places like Boston, another dock and river city with a strong Irish influence.

And it sounds different…

As well as the visual contrasts, I wanted what we hear to be as varied as possible. Sean Bean’s character Ronnie Phelan enjoys songs from the crooners like Tony Bennett, while Diana plays Aretha Franklin at work, the family dance to 90s house music classics such as Show Me Love, and at the Christening party they play Frankie Valli - while in a chophouse it’s drill. It’s all part of creating a whole, rich, believable world that is true to the characters who inhabit it.

Black humour plays an important part in the entire series - it is, after all, set in Liverpool and humour is the soul of this city - and there is a lot of black comedy in Stephen’s work. I tried to develop this quality wherever possible, and some of my favourite blackly comic moments involve music.

If you could use three words to sum up This City is Ours, what would they be?

I’d love people to think it feels ‘fresh’, and also that it's ‘bold’. My third key word sums up the characteristic that anchors these eight episodes with their themes of love and betrayal and of loyalty and corruption – and that is ‘authenticity.’