Everything you need to know about the star-studded submarine drama, including a look at the trailer and first-look images.
If you’re after a brand new drama to dive into, then you’re in luck – Vigil, starring Suranne Jones and Martin Compston, is coming to BBC One a lot sooner than we expected.
An airdate for the submarine drama has finally been confirmed, with the six-part series premiering over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Starring Gentleman Jack’s Jones, Vigil follows DCI Amy Silva as she boards the titular submarine to investigate the suspicious death of someone on there and the mysterious disappearance of a fishing trawler – and stumbles upon a dark conspiracy at the heart of Britain’s national security in the process.
!["Vigil"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/07/22882655-high_res-vigil-53259d7.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"bbc-nuclear-submarine-thriller-vigil\"")
The BBC released a few more first-look images ahead of the drama’s TV debut, with Suranne Jones’s Amy Silva seen hanging precariously above the submarine in one photo, while Martin Compston’s character argues with his colleagues in another.
Read on for everything you need to know about BBC One’s Vigil, including plot details, cast and much more.
When is Vigil on BBC One?
BBC One has announced the release date for Vigil, revealing that the first two episodes will air over the bank holiday on Sunday 29th August and Monday 30th August at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The remaining episodes will air each week on Sunday from then onwards.
The drama was announced in January 2020 with a full cast in place, but the subsequent pandemic delayed production substantially.
Filming had to be temporarily halted as the television industry adapted to a new way of working, but picked up again in late August 2020 and has since been completed.
Vigil trailer
The BBC dropped a brand new trailer for the moody thriller in July, and it certainly looks as promising as it sounds.
We had already got our first glimpse at Vigil on Sunday, 2nd May, when the first trailer was released – on the same day that the sixth series of Line of Duty drew to a close on BBC One.
Vigil cast
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The lead role, that of DCI Amy Silva, will be played by Gentleman Jack star Suranne Jones, who said that the script feels “fresh and relevant.”
She said, “Tom Edge has created a thrill of a story, set in a world I knew nothing about. The cast and crew World Productions have put together to tell this story is so exciting.
Amy Silva is a brilliantly complex character, thrown into a highly charged situation where her authority is weakened. We watch as she navigates her own personal trauma and loss, all at a time when she’s questioning her relationships and life choices.”
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Rose Leslie, best known for her turns as Ygritte on Game of Thrones and Gwen Dawson on Downton Abbey will also play a key role in the Vigil cast. She said of her involvement, “I was weaned on BBC drama and it is thrilling to be back working at a place that feels like home with Tom Edge’s complex and gripping script. It will be a real honour to work with Suranne and I am looking forward to be filming back in Scotland.”
The pair certainly have a lot of chemistry, and the latest trailer seemed to hint at a potential romantic relationship between the two.
A host of other stars have also signed onto the project, including Bodyguard’s Anjli Mohindra, Endeavour’s Shaun Evans, and Martin Compston – well known to BBC One audiences as Steve Arnott on Line of Duty.
They are joined by Paterson Joseph (The Leftovers, Peep Show), Connor Swindells (Sex Education, Jamestown), Adam James (Doctor Foster, Deep State), and Gary Lewis (His Dark Materials, Billy Elliot).
What is Vigil about?
The series is set in Scotland and revolves around the events after the mysterious disappearance of a fishing trawler and a death on-board a Trident nuclear submarine. The two incidents see a conflict between local police and British security officers, with the Navy also involved.
DCI Amy Silva steps in to lead the investigation, which according to the plot synopsis, “leads an investigation on land and at sea into a conspiracy that threatens the very heart of Britain’s nuclear deterrent.”
(And in case you’re confused, yes – ITV also has a nuclear submarine-based thriller on the way, but that one’s called Tenacity.)
Who is writing and directing Vigil?
!["Vigil"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/07/21920380-high_res-vigil-e6bbe3d.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"bbc-nuclear-submarine-thriller-vigil\"")
The series was created by Tom Edge, whose previous writing credits include 2019 biopic Judy and episodes of The Crown, while Ed Macdonald (The End of The F***ing World) and Chandni Lakhani (Dublin Murders) have also contributed episodes.
Edge said of the series: “I’m completely thrilled to be making this series with the talented people at World Productions and BBC Drama. The ‘Continuous At Sea Deterrent’, better known as ‘Trident’, has been a contentious part of national life for half a century now, a stock of nuclear missiles kept hundreds of feet below the sea surface.
“But this world has rarely been explored on screen. I can’t wait to take a BBC One audience down with us, into the pitch-black icy waters of the unseen Atlantic, where tomorrow’s geopolitical struggles are already being played out.”
Behind the camera, directorial duties will be shared by BAFTA-winner James Strong (Broadchurch, Vanity Fair, Liar) and Isabelle Sieb (Shetland, The Athena).
Vigil will premiere on BBC One later this year. While you’re waiting, check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.