This City Is Ours
This City Is Ours is a crime drama television series created by Stephen Butchard for BBC One. Set in Liverpool, it was produced by Left Bank Pictures and premiered on 23 March 2025. In May 2025, it was renewed for a second series.[1]
Synopsis
The series centres on crime boss Ronnie Phelan, who's looking to retire, triggering a power struggle between his partner Michael Kavanagh, and his ambitious son Jamie.
Cast and characters
- Sean Bean as Ronnie Phelan, leader of the gang
- James Nelson-Joyce as Michael Kavanagh, Ronnie's right-hand man
- Hannah Onslow as Diana Williams, Michael's girlfriend, a restaurant manager
- Jack McMullen as Jamie Phelan, Ronnie's son and a senior gang member
- Darci Shaw as Melissa Sullivan, Jamie's fiancée and mother of his baby son
- Julie Graham as Elaine Phelan, Ronnie's wife and Jamie's mother
- Laura Aikman as Rachel Duffy, Jamie's cousin and the gang's accountant
- Stephen Walters as Davey Crawford, a senior gang member
- Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Cheryl Crawford, Davey's wife
- Mike Noble as Banksey, Michael's right-hand man and enforcer
- Bobby Schofield as Bonehead, Jamie's right-hand man and enforcer
- Kevin Harvey as Bobby Duffy, Rachel's husband and a senior gang member
- Daniel Cerqueira as Ricardo Guzman, a senior representative of 'the Amigos', the Colombian cartel from which the gang buys its cocaine
- Leanne Best as Lesley Williams, Diana's mother, serving a life sentence for the murder of Diana's father
Production
The eight-part series was commissioned in February 2024.[2] Andy Harries of Left Bank Pictures served as an executive producer, Butchard is lead writer and Robbie O’Neill is writing further episodes.[3] In May 2024, Sean Bean was confirmed in the lead role and the cast also includes James Nelson-Joyce, Hannah Onslow, Jack McMullen, Julie Graham, Laura Aikman, Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Darci Shaw.[4]
This City is Ours has filming locations including Liverpool and Spain with filming underway in May 2024.[5][6]
Episodes
| No. | Episode | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | Saul Dibb | Stephen Butchard | 23 March 2025 | 3.64 |
| 2 | Episode 2 | Saul Dibb | Stephen Butchard | 30 March 2025 | 3.35 |
| 3 | Episode 3 | Saul Dibb | Stephen Butchard | 6 April 2025 | 3.41 |
| 4 | Episode 4 | John Hayes | Robbie O'Neill | 13 April 2025 | 3.50 |
| 5 | Episode 5 | John Hayes | Robbie O'Neill | 20 April 2025 | 3.92 |
| 6 | Episode 6 | John Hayes | Stephen Butchard | 27 April 2025 | 4.11 |
| 7 | Episode 7 | Eshref Reybrouck | Stephen Butchard | 4 May 2025 | TBD |
| 8 | Episode 8 | Eshref Reybrouck | Stephen Butchard | 11 May 2025 | TBD |
Broadcast
This City Is Ours premiered on 23 March 2025 on BBC One with all the episodes made available on BBC iPlayer.[7]
Reception
Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph awarded the show five stars and praised the performances, especially Nelson-Joyce.[8] Carol Midgley in The Times awarded the show four stars and praised the "modern, witty and authentic" dialogue, as well as the on-screen chemistry between Nelson-Joyce and Sean Bean.[9] Lucy Mangan in The Guardian also praised the performances but awarded the show three stars, finding it rather "generic”.[10] Rachel Cooke for The New Statesman described it as "marvellous and witty" and compared it to a "superior Scouse Dallas".[11] Phil Harrison for The Independent gave the show four stars, commenting that the moral complexities and depth of the characters raised the drama from cliche.[12] Dan Einav in The Financial Times described it as "solid but unspectacular", noting that the "idiosyncrasies of Liverpudilian speech, clothing and humour are not simply background details — they are made integral to the identity" of the series.[13]
References
- ^ Goldbart, Max (11 May 2025). "This City Is Ours Renewed For Season 2 At BBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (21 February 2024). "BBC Unveils Mega 12-Show Drama Slate Featuring 'Dear England' Adaptation Starring Joseph Fiennes, Aimee Lou Wood's Debut Writing Project & Rebecca Hall-Led Series From Element". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ Chapman, Stephen (22 February 2024). "Epic Liverpool drama from The Crown producers". Prolific North. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (28 May 2024). "Sean Bean To Play Gang Leader In BBC Drama Series 'This City Is Ours' From 'The Crown' Producer Left Bank". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ Craig, David (28 May 2024). "Sean Bean leads cast of The Last Kingdom writer's new crime drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "This City Is Ours Filming Locations: Where the 2025 BBC Crime Drama Was Shot". netfilming.com. 3 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Sean Bean fans 'blown away' by new BBC drama as it hits trending chart: "Edge-of-your-seat stuff"". Digital Spy. 24 March 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Singh, Anita (23 March 2025). "This City Is Ours, review: superb crime thriller of betrayals and shifting loyalties". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Midgley, Carol (23 March 2025). "This City Is Ours review: Sean Bean's Merseyside mob have shades of the Sopranos". The Times. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (23 March 2025). "This City Is Ours review – there is zero emotional depth to Sean Bean's new gang drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Cooke, Rachel (23 March 2025). "This City is Ours: a highly superior Scouse Dallas". New Statesman. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Harrison, Phil (23 March 2025). "A conflicted gangster and moral ambivalence elevate This City Is Ours above the average boilerplate crime drama". The Independent. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Einav, Dan (19 March 2025). "This City is Ours BBC1 review — Liverpool is home to a very modern gangster story". The Financial Times. Retrieved 25 March 2025.