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'Years and Years': Release date, plot, cast, trailer, and everything you need to know about Emma Thompson's political drama

The Oscar-winning actress plays the lead role in the six-part series that will chronicle one family surviving the future of Britain

Emma Thompson is once again set to appear on the small screen through the BBC One drama 'Years and Years' which focuses on Britain’s unstable future. The Oscar-winning actress plays the lead role in the six-part series that will chronicle one family surviving the future of Britain.

Release Date

The British show first premiered in the UK a month ago, on May 14, but it's finally arriving in the US on HBO this coming June 24.

Plot

The story follows the Lyons family from the point where "their complex lives converge on one crucial night in 2019," reveals the official synopsis of the show. Set in the midst of a Britain which is shaken by unstable political, economic and technological advances, the story showcases the next 15 years in the life of the family members, with each episode taking us a year or two ahead in their lives. "The twists and turns of everyday life are explored as we find out if this ordinary family could ever change the world," adds the synopsis. At the center of all of this commotion is Thompson's character Vivienne Rook, who goes from being an outspoken celebrity to a political figure whose controversial opinions divide the nation.

Creator

Russell T Davies created the drama, which he had been reportedly aiming to write for almost two decades. The Welsh screenwriter and television producer has also gifted us with stellar works like 'Queer as Folk', 'Bob & Rose', 'The Second Coming', 'Casanova', and the 2005 revival of 'Doctor Who'.

Cast

Emma Thompson

The two-time Oscar winner plays the role of Vivienne on the show, and the character has been said to be "a new breed of politician, an entertainer, a rebel, a trickster, and her rise to power leads us into an unknown future," by a press release on the series.

The show also stars Russell Tovey as Daniel, Rory Kinnear as Stephen, the brothers of the central family in focus. The sisters are played by T’Nia Miller as Celeste, Ruth Madeley as Rosie, Jessica Hynes as Edith, and Anne Raid as Gran Muriel. Rory Kinnear plays Stephen Lyons, a financial advisor to Vivienne, and also the family’s peacekeeper married to the ambitious and opinionated accountant, Celeste.

Daniel is a hard working housing officer, while Edith is a dangerous, calculative woman hiding a secret life from the rest. Their Gran Muriel is the family's prime matriarch presiding over the rest of them.

Trailer

The official trailer for the show does a brilliant job at showcasing the controversial side of Vivienne's political reign, while also highlighting Thompson's versatility as an actress. Watch her take over the nation with her outrageous claims while the Lyons family tries coursing through it all, in the trailer below:

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