Downton Abbey actor to appear in star-studded Netflix drama – and it sounds gripping
Netflix has announced the star-studded cast for its upcoming drama about the Corby poisonings, Toxic Town – with Downton Abbey star Brendan Coyle set to appear alongside the likes of Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker, Sex Education's Aimee Lou Wood, Trainspotting actor Robert Carlyle and The Diplomat's Rory Kinnear.
The four-part series focuses on three mothers' fight for justice following toxic waste spillages in the town of Corby in Northamptonshire.
Following the closure of one of Europe's largest steelworks in the early 1980s, Corby Borough Council undertook the demolition and excavation of the site, which involved the transportation of waste through populated areas using open lorries, spilling sludge onto the roads.
In the subsequent years, the rates of upper-limb defects in babies born in Corby were found to be almost three times higher than in the surrounding areas.
What followed was a landmark court case in 2009, which was dubbed the British Erin Brockovich, that saw 18 young people allege that the toxic waste dumped between 1984 and 1999 was the cause of their deformities.
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Corby Borough Council was found liable for negligence, public nuisance and a breach of statutory duty in a historic decision that was the first in the world to establish a link between atmospheric toxic waste and birth defects.
The series comes from Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones' production company, Broke And Bones, and is penned by His Dark Materials writer Jack Thorne. Directing the drama is Minkie Spiro (Better Call Saul).
Jack Thorne said of the series: "The Corby Toxic Waste Case is one of those moments in history that is defining. It showed our ability to close our eyes and ears to the safety of our people. It also showed the remarkable way that people will fight for what's right.
"Toxic Town tells the story of these funny, brave, incredible women and the way they scrapped for their children. It has been a true privilege working with Annabel, Minkie, Delyth and the whole Broke & Bones family on this incredible story, and we are so grateful to Netflix for giving us the opportunity and support in telling it."
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Executive producer Annabel Jones added: "We are thrilled to be working with the hugely talented Jack Thorne. He is the voice of this generation and brings an intelligence, an intensity and an empathy to the human story behind this landmark case. Jack compassionately explores the interplay between a local community’s desire for economic prosperity and the environmental and human cost. A story which is as pertinent today as it was then."
Production on the series will commence in the UK in August.
