Brain-twistingly brilliant new drama The Tourist heading to BBC1
Story by Jack Foley
WRITING duo Harry and Jack Williams have been commissioned to write a new drama for BBC1, entitled The Tourist.
The drama boasts “one of the boldest and most brain-twistingly brilliant conceits which thriller fans will have experienced in a long time”, according to Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, who co-commissioned the series with Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content.
In the glowing red heart of the Australian outback, a British man is pursued by a vast tank truck trying to drive him off the road. An epic cat and mouse chase unfolds and The Man later wakes in hospital, hurt, but somehow alive. Except he has no idea who he is. With merciless figures from his past pursuing him, The Man’s search for answers propels him through the vast and unforgiving outback.
The Tourist is a character-driven mystery packed thriller, full of shocking, surprising, funny and brutal turns. Set in a world populated by quirky, enigmatic characters, off-beat black comedy punctuates high-stakes action. The six-episode series twists and turns through the dusty outback of Australia, to the frantic noise and lights of Singapore, and to the calm, luxury white-sand beaches of Bali.
At its heart however, is a story of self-discovery with a ticking time-bomb underneath: As The Man starts to uncover the mystery of who he was, he’s also forced to ask who he is now – and fast. Will he unlock the secrets of his identify before those who are trying to kill him catch up with him?
Existential questions sit alongside breathless storytelling, in a very real and very human story that everyone can relate to, played out across the almost mythic, landscape of the outback, a modern-day Wild West.
Harry and Jack Williams, writers and managing directors of Two Brothers Pictures, commented: “The Tourist is a departure from anything we’ve written before. It isn’t an easy show to categorise – so we won’t. We are, however, hugely excited to have Chris Sweeney on board as director, and to be making this for the BBC. We’re thankful for their support of this ambitious project.”
Christopher Aird, Two Brothers Pictures Head of Drama, added: “The Tourist has a very special tone which I think will surprise, shock and amuse by turns. We’re really excited to be making this distinctive show for BBC One this year.”
Filming will begin later this year and casting will be announced in due course.
Two Brothers Pictures have previously been responsible for BBC hits Baptiste, The Missing and Liar.