First-look pictures and further casting for Hugo Blick’s California Avenue coming to the BBC

Kate Robbins, Paul Kaye and newcomer Cammie Liebreich join Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter, Erin Doherty, and Tom Burke

Published: 10:00 am, 23 April 2026

Updated: 01:10 pm, 23 April 2026

An older well-dressed couple set in a living room. The women is resting her head on the mans shoulder — Helena Bonham-Carter as Eddie and Bill Nighy as Jerry (Image: Robert Viglasky)

First-look pictures have been released of California Avenue, a new drama from BAFTA Award-winning writer and director Hugo Blick (The English, The Honourable Woman, Marion and Geoff) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

The series features a stellar cast of Bill Nighy (Living, About Time), Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown, Nolly), Erin Doherty (The Crown, Adolescence) and Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Souvenir), who are joined by Kate Robbins (After Life, Unforgotten), Paul Kaye (Small Prophets, Shardlake) and newcomer Cammie Liebreich.

A mand and a woman sat on the side of a lake in the sun. Behind them is a white and blue faded caravan — Tom Burke and Erin Doherty as Cooper and Lela (Image: Robert Viglasky)

A young person dressed in a blue astronaut costume. They are walking along a dusty path next to a playground — Cammie Liebreich as Bee (Image Robert Viglasky)

Produced by Drama Republic (a Mediawan company), makers of One Day and Doctor Foster, California Avenue is a story brimming with humour and love.

Set in the 1970s in a secluded canal-side caravan park deep in the luscious English countryside, its peace is irrevocably disrupted by the arrival of Lela (Erin Doherty) and her 11-year-old child, Bee (Cammie Liebreich), both on the run, looking for refuge in this hidden world. It is here that a fractured family will come together, ghosts of the past will firmly be put to rest and an unexpected love is forged.

An older man wearing a dark coloured suite, a green overcoat and flatcap. He's walking down a dusty path — Bill Nighy as Jerry (Image: Robert Viglasky)

A group of people stood in a dusty barn with the arms held to the sky — Helena Bonham-Carter as Eddie (Image: Robert Viglasky)

Bill Nighy and Helena Bonham Carter star as Jerry and Eddie, Lela’s parents, ballroom champions of the 1930s who became wartime runaways and are still hiding, three decades on, while Tom Burke co-stars as fairground outcast, Cooper, whose turbulent past will explode into California Avenue.

Kate Robbins plays Priscilla, the formidable force running the caravan site alongside her husband, site manager and jack-of-all-trades, Kevin, played by Paul Kaye.

A woman wearing a pink fluffy jacket and a white top waves. She is stood in front of a tree on a sunny day — Erin Doherty as Lela (Image: Robert Viglasky)

A man wwith dark hari is wearing a vest and a blue shirt. He is standing on some grass in front of a canal — Tom Burke as Cooper (Image: Robert Viglasky)

The series is the latest collaboration between Hugo Blick, Drama Republic, Eight Rooks and the BBC following The English, The Honourable Woman and Black Earth Rising.

California Avenue is created, written, and directed by Hugo Blick. The producer is Colin Wratten (The English, Lockerbie: A Search for Truth), and the executive producers are Hugo Blick for Eight Rooks, Greg Brenman for Drama Republic, Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter, and Lucy Richer for the BBC.

A women wearing bright clothing sits against a window ledge looking into the distance — Kate Robbins as Priscilla (Image: Robert Viglasky)

A man waeing an old jacker and hat stands in a barn holding a puppy — Paul Kaye as Kevin (Image: Robert Viglasky)

The series is produced by Drama Republic, a Mediawan company, and Eight Rooks. California Avenue will be distributed worldwide by Mediawan Rights with the participation of Entourage Ventures.

California Avenue will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

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First-look pictures and further casting for Hugo Blick’s California Avenue coming to the BBC

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