BBC confirms star cast for new drama series California Avenue

The BBC has confirmed the cast for its latest drama series, California Avenue, from acclaimed writer and director Hugo Blick (The English, Black Earth Rising). California Avenue is set in the 1970s in a remote canalside caravan park in the idyllic English countryside. The tranquility of this secluded community is shattered by the arrival of Lela (played by Erin Doherty) and her eleven-year-old child, who are on the run and seek refuge in this hidden world.

There, an emotionally charged story unfolds in which a broken family is reunited, old ghosts and demons are faced and an unexpected love affair develops.



It was previously reported that Bill Nighy (pictured) was in talks to star in the series, and now it has been confirmed that he will star alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Burke and Erin Doherty. Nighy and Bonham Carter play Jerry and Eddie, Lela’s parents, while Tom Burke plays Cooper, an outsider and showman.

The series is the latest collaboration between Hugo Blick, Drama Republic, Eight Rooks and the BBC. Blick describes the series as a tribute to the people who inspired him to make television:

“Whether it’s through comedy, political drama or even a western, I’ve always tried to explore what television can be. California Avenue is a search for those roots.”

With an impressive cast, an intriguing setting and Hugo Blick’s signature storytelling, California Avenue promises to be a new milestone in British television.