The BBC and Fremantle’s Euston Films have today released first look images for upcoming suspense thriller Nightsleeper from BAFTA award-winning writer Nick Leather (Murdered For Being Different) and starring Alexandra Roach (The Light in the Hall) and Joe Cole (Gangs of London). Nightsleeper (6×60) will be coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in early 2024.   

Nightsleeper is a real-time thriller about the hacking of a sleeper train travelling from Glasgow to London, and a government agency’s frantic efforts to intervene in the rapidly-escalating events onboard. Can two people who’ve never met, one on the train and one not, work together to save the lives of its disparate group of passengers as the Heart of Britain overnight service hurtles towards what might quite literally be its final destination? 

Alexandra plays Abby Aysgarth, the Acting Technical Director at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, who’s finally about to take a well-earned holiday when she receives a phone call that will change everything – the UK railway network is under attack. Joe Cole plays Joe Roag, an off-duty cop onboard who was hoping for a quiet night. However, over the next six rollercoaster hours, Joe’s about to get anything but, as he and Abby battle both their own distrust and the unpredictable behaviour of the person or persons now in control, desperate to try and stop the Heart of Britain from reaching the end of the line, in more ways than one… 

 The series also stars Alex Ferns (The Devil’s Hour), Sharon Small (The Bay), James Cosmo (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), David Threlfall (Shameless), Daniel Cahill (The Control Room), Lois Chimimba (Vigil), Gabriel Howell (The Fence), Katie Leung (Harry Potter), Leah MacRae (Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything), Ruth Madeley (Years and Years), Adam Mitchell (Mother’s Day), Pamela Nomvete (Andor), Scott Reid (Maxine), Sharon Rooney (Barbie) and Parth Thakerar (Gangs of London). 

Nightsleeper is a 6×60 series for BBC One and BBC iPlayer produced by Euston Films (Wreck, The Sister, Dublin Murders), a Fremantle label. The series is directed by Jamie Magnus Stone (Doctor Who, Ten Pound Poms) and John Hayes (Dublin Murders). Writers are Nick Leather with Laura Grace (Episode 4 and 5). Executive Producers are Kate Harwood for Euston Films with Nick Leather, Jamie Magnus Stone, and Gaynor Holmes for the BBC. Producing is Jonathan Curling (The Sister, Baghdad Central) and Co-Producing is Daisy Costello. Fremantle is handling global distribution.