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Suranne Jones (Unforgiven, Coronation Street) leads an impressive ensemble cast in Gwyneth Hughes' (Miss Austen Regrets, Cherished) gripping new drama serial Five Days, which returns to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One in 2010, it was announced today.

Kate Harwood, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Controller Drama Series & Serials, says: "Once again Gwyneth has delivered a tense emotional drama about a rich range of characters which will leave viewers desperate to find out what happens next in a complex story of mystery and moment."

A tiny newborn baby is abandoned in the toilets of a Yorkshire hospital. At the same time, the Trans-Pennine commuter train is halted by a suicidal jumper. Are they connected?

From this moment on, the lives of those onboard the train and in the hospital will be changed irrevocably, not least for DC Laurie Franklin (Suranne Jones), off-duty that day but travelling on the train with her mum (Anne Reid), who is recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Laurie likes tying up loose ends. And if she can prove a connection between the body and the baby she will be happy.

But things never turn out quite the way we expect. Who is the baby's mother? And who is the jumper? And was it just a simple case of suicide – or was it really a murder?

Five Days is an atmospheric ensemble drama; a mystery which unfolds over the five most significant days of the police investigation into these two mysteries.

It is set in the heart of urban Yorkshire – a melting pot of tensions and relationships within a multicultural landscape.

The ensemble cast includes: Suranne Jones (Unforgiven, Coronation Street), David Morrissey (Red Riding, Is Anybody There?), Anne Reid (In Love With Barbara, Hot Fuzz), Bernard Hill (Valkyrie, Titanic), Hugo Speer (Bleak House, The Full Monty), Derek Riddell (Ugly Betty, No Angels), Nina Sosanya (Casanova, Teachers), Steve Evets (Looking For Eric), Ashley Walters (Small Island, Bullet Boy), Shaun Dooley (Married, Single, Other; The Mark of Cain), Matthew McNulty (Cranford, The Shooting Of Thomas Hurndall), Navin Chowdhry (Sinchronicity, Teachers), Shivani Ghai (House Of Saddam), Sacha Dharwan (The History Boys, State Of Play), Cornell John (Kidulthood, Adulthood), Aaron Neil (White Girl), Philip Arditti (House Of Saddam), Kerry Condon (Rome), Chris Fountain (Hollyoaks).

A ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Drama Production for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One, Five Days is currently in production for transmission in 2010.

Written by Gwyneth Hughes and produced by Caroline Skinner, the serial is directed by Toby Haynes (Being Human, Spooks Code 9) and Peter Hoar (Mistresses, Spooks). The executive producer is Hilary Salmon (Desperate Romantics, Criminal Justice, Moses Jones, House Of Saddam).

Five Days was recommissioned by Jay Hunt, Controller, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One, and Ben Stephenson, Controller, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Drama Commissioning.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Drama Production is a world leader in producing much-loved and critically acclaimed dramas including recent productions: A Short Stay In Switzerland, The 39 Steps, Little Dorrit, All The Small Things, Waking The Dead and Silent Witness on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One; House Of Saddam, Moses Jones and Desperate Romantics on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two. Forthcoming dramas include: Breaking The Mould and Gracie! on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Four and Emma, Cranford Christmas, Survivors 2 and Lark Rise To Candleford 3 all for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One.

Notes to Editors

Five Days series one first broadcast on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One in 2007.

Series one received nominations for a BAFTA, RTS and Golden Globe Awards.

AF