麻豆社

What attracted you to Years and Years?
I think Russell T Davies is one of the most talented and unique voices that we have on TV. His scripts are unlike any others that I have read, so to get a chance to be a part of one of his projects is a dream.

Tell us about your character and your role within the story.
I am one of four Lyons children. The Lyons family are the central part of the series and the show begins with me arriving back after a few years of being away, as a political activist across the world.

How does Edith compare to the rest of the family?
Edith is a bit of a loner, she’s someone who’s always wandering off and the sibling who is usually away on her own. She’s independent, quite singular and unconventional - she’s a bit of an adventurer I suppose.

The series is a family saga over decades and pushes the story into the future. How was it playing the same character over a 15-year period?
At first it was a challenge because you try to create a story arc normally. When you approach a character there’s a beginning, middle and an end. Whereas with this, you’re jumping around from different decades and eras. So I ended up approaching it as being very much in the moment of the scene. Instinctively that seemed to be the best way, and the way that I felt I could do something as authentic as possible.

The character of Edith is one who has been actively trying to fight the powers above throughout the 15 years, where do you think that drive was born from?
I think she is inspired by the women in her family like her grandma, Muriel, who is very traditional in many ways but in other aspects a rebel. Muriel’s principled and opinionated and maybe even idealistic. I think she inspired all of the children to have integrity to be their authentic selves. Edith was given the freedom to go off and live an unconventional life, go and protest as she did for all those years. She didn’t feel like she was letting anyone down. In fact, she felt like she was doing what she should be doing, which is following her passions and her dreams.

Did you think about the current political and economic environment when preparing for your role?
It was interesting doing some of Edith’s scenes as it reminded me of a time when our local town put up 300 asylum seekers in a hotel. I remember feeling with a passion that I wanted to go and see if they were ok, if they needed anything. I didn’t know if there would be women and children there and I went down to see the hotel manager and he said, “don’t worry they’re all being really well looked after, but thank you for your offer”. That was a tiny little thing that I could do and in the end I didn’t feel like I did anything. It just reminded me how many good-natured people there are everywhere and I suppose whatever inspired me to do that, Edith has that drive. I have that little seed in me but Edith dedicates her life to it.

In what ways does the series bring about hope?
Love brings about hope. Anything that focuses the mind on the love that we have for one another and what binds us, what brings us closer. That always brings hope and I think this series really does try to do that.

Do you have any memorable moments when filming on set?
My favourite was when Edith returns and all of us are dancing around the fire. Rory (Kinnear) plays our brother Stephen and we were having a great time. We all had a Red Hot Chilli Peppers moment. We were all singing whilst travelling back after that shoot. It was lovely because even though we’re acting, creating a ‘fake’ memory of the family that we’re playing, we were creating a real memory for us all and it was truly magical.

What do you hope the audience will take away from the drama?
I hope they enjoy it. I hope they like the detail, excitement, uniqueness and bravery of it all. I hope they are uplifted by it and they just embrace it as a gripping, moving TV drama.

What’s going to surprise people about this series?
The twist and turns. They’re never going to know what’s going to happen, there’s so much that is unconventional about the plot and storyline. Russell has huge sci-fi credentials and his incredible imagination is really shown off in this show. You never know what the characters are going to do next. Russell’s created a believable family because of the intimacy of the domestic elements, but blends them into those bigger, epic scenes.

Vivienne Rook (Emma Thompson)

Businesswoman and entrepreneur, Viv’s a familiar face on modern media, always ready with a quote. But when she stands for Parliament and forms her own party, she begins an inexorable rise to power. She’s adored for speaking her mind, but what are her actual policies? And how far will she go to achieve them?

Muriel Deacon (Anne Reid)

Muriel Deacon (Anne Reid). Sharp as a knife. Wise, but opinionated. Proud and independent and defying the passing of time. She doesn’t sleep much. Enjoys a whisky. Her house is large, rambling and dilapidated. Mother to the late and much-missed Jennifer, she’s a devoted (and critical) grandmother to her beloved Lyons clan.

Stephen (Rory Kinnear)

Stephen Lyons (Rory Kinnear). The eldest. Lives in London while the rest of the Lyons stayed in Manchester. A financial adviser, he worked at home to bring up the kids while his wife Celeste went out to work. He’s the peacemaker, a calm, smiling man. Though he can afford to be - he’s rich. What will he become when his world is rocked?

Edith Lyons (Jessica Hynes)

The second child, she’s tough, wry, earthy, a bit of a hippy as a teenager. Always knew where to get hold of some weed. As an adult she’s become a fearless campaigner and something of an anarchist, with skills her family would find dodgy. She’s been travelling the world, but shocking events bring her home for good.

Daniel Lyons (Russell Tovey)

A housing officer in Manchester. He’s friendly, diligent and hardworking. Loves his family. Has a strong social conscience, but finds that hard to maintain in an ever-changing world. Daniels is going out with Ralph, and they’re about to get married, but maybe Daniel said yes too soon...

Rosie Lyons (Ruth Madeley)

The youngest Lyons, spirited, sharp, born with spina bifida. Single mother to Lee and Lincoln, by two different dads. Works as a chef manager in a local comprehensive school. She’s great fun and binds the family together, but Rosie will never forgive her dad for walking out on the Lyons family when she was young.

Celeste Bisme-Lyons (T’Nia Miller)

Married to Stephen. Chief Accountant, smart, stylish. A marvellous snob. Exasperated by modern technology. But she’s a proud mum to two daughters, Bethany and Ruby, and they have a comfortable life in a nice house in Barnsbury. One day, that life will feel like a distant dream.

Ralph Cousins (Dino Fetscher)

Primary school teacher. Always on his phone. Ralph’s the fun one, Daniel’s his straight man. They’ve been together for 18 months, married two years later. The end comes quicker and more brutally than Ralph could ever have predicted, and he takes a terrible revenge.

Viktor Goraya (Maxim Baldry)

Ukrainian refugee. Tortured in Ukraine for information about his friends. Nevertheless, he’s a kind, smiling man, a great survivor of his hardships, always looking for the positive side. Full of strength and laughter, Viktor is a source of great joy to Daniel, and will become the love of his life.

Bethany Bisme-Lyons (Lydia West)

Bethany Bisme-Lyons (Lydia West). Daughter to Stephen and Celeste. A brilliant student, Bethany is shy, quiet, withdrawn. But her introspection hides her secret passion. She’s obsessed with transhumanism, the culture of integrating humans with technology. But her ambition is in danger of taking her too far.

Ruby Bisme-Lyons (Jade Alleyne)

Daughter to Stephen and Celeste. Ruby’s fun and great company, enjoying everything the 21st Century has to offer. She’s a bit spoilt, unaware that her world is about to come crashing down.

Lee Lyons (Noah Wride, Blake Woods, Callum Woolford and Adam Little)

Rosie’s first-born son, his dad now lives in Slough with a new family, though that doesn’t cause Lee any grief. He’s a nice, home-loving lad, but as the estate he lives on gets rougher, Lee finds himself going outside the law.

Lincoln Lyons (Jett Moises, Aaron Ansari & Aiden Li)

Rosie’s half-Chinese son. Lincoln is born in episode one. And as he grows up and watched the Lyons family changing around him, his story, over the next 15 years, is set to be the most radical and exciting of all.

Cast and Crew

Vivienne Rook - Emma Thompson
Muriel Deacon - Anne Reid
Stephen Lyons - Rory Kinnear
Daniel Lyons - Russell Tovey
Rosie Lyons - Ruth Madeley
Edith Lyons - Jessica Hynes
Celeste Bisme-Lyons T’Nia Miller
Bethany Bisme-Lyons Lydia West
Ruby Bisme-Lyons - Jade Alleyne
Lee - Callum Woolford
Lincoln - Jett Moises, Aaron Ansari and Aiden Li
Ralph Cousins - Dino Fetscher
Viktor Goraya - Maxim Baldry

Nicola Shindler - Executive Producer
Michaela Fereday - Executive Producer & Head of Production
Russell T Davies - Executive Producer, Creator & Writer
Karen Lewis - Producer
Simon Cellan Jones - Director, Executive Producer
Lisa Mulcahy - Director

KS

Related Programme Information

• Episode one
• Episode two