Dive is a two-part British television drama starring Jack O'Connell, Aisling Loftus and Gina McKee. Broadcast on BBC Two in July 2010, the show dealt with the problems of teenage relationships and pregnancy against the backdrop of a young diver's preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The Independent 's reviewer called Dive "a pitch-perfect depiction of young, modern, British puppy love." [1] The Daily Telegraph said it was "a rather beautiful and moving piece of television. Writer/director Dominic Savage... has made a fine, truthful film, several cuts above your average telly drama", a "profoundly engaging" love story with "superb performances" by Jack O’Connell and Aisling Loftus. [2]
The Observer felt the "intensely memorable film was slow-build, like a dive itself. You had long, graceful shots of wind-farms and playgrounds and parks and naughty smokers, of modern life in a seaside town, with some beautiful music to let you think, to wonder what was going to happen.... And then, in the film as in the pool, the explosion, and the splash." Jack O’Connell's performance was "mesmerising, comedic, soulful" and Aisling Loftus "is going to be a phenomenon." [3]
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis is a British screenwriter, producer and film director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known primarily for romantic comedy films, among them Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Love Actually (2003), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), About Time (2013) and Yesterday (2019). He is also known for the drama War Horse (2011) and for having co-written the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Vicar of Dibley. His early career saw him write material for the BBC's Not the Nine O'Clock News and ITV's Spitting Image.
Michael Christopher Sheen is a Welsh actor, film director, television producer, narrator, and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in Romeo and Juliet (1992), Don't Fool with Love (1993), Peer Gynt (1994), The Seagull (1995), The Homecoming (1997), and Henry V (1997). His performances in Amadeus at the Old Vic and Look Back in Anger at the National Theatre were nominated for Olivier Awards in 1998 and 1999, respectively. In 2003, he was nominated for a third Olivier Award for his performance in Caligula at the Donmar Warehouse.
Sarah Anne Akers, known professionally as Suranne Jones, is an English actress and producer. She rose to prominence as Karen McDonald in Coronation Street between 2000 to 2004. Upon leaving, she furthered her television career in drama series including Vincent (2005–2006), Strictly Confidential (2006) and Harley Street (2008). Her portrayal of convicted murderer Ruth Slater in the mini-series Unforgiven (2009) received acclaim.
Andrew Scott is an Irish actor. He played Jim Moriarty in the BBC series Sherlock, for which he won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. Scott's role as the priest on the second series of Fleabag earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He won further acclaim playing the lead role of Garry Essendine in a 2019 stage production of Present Laughter at The Old Vic, for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play.
David John Tennant is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, returning to the show as the fourteenth incarnation of the character in 2022. His other notable roles include Giacomo Casanova in the BBC comedy-drama serial Casanova (2005), Barty Crouch Jr. in the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Peter Vincent in the horror remake Fright Night (2011), DI Alec Hardy in the ITV crime drama series Broadchurch (2013–2017), Kilgrave in the Netflix superhero series Jessica Jones (2015–2019), Crowley in the Amazon Prime fantasy series Good Omens (2019–present), and Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days (2021).
William James Nesbitt is an actor from Northern Ireland.
Georgia Elizabeth Tennant is an English actress and producer. She played Detective Inspector Samantha Nixon's daughter Abigail in The Bill, Jenny in the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor's Daughter" and Lady Vivian in the show Merlin.
Sarah-Jane Abigail Lancashire is an English actress from Oldham, England. She is known for her roles on screen and stage; her combined acting credits have earned Lancashire various accolades over a career spanning four decades, including two British Academy Television Awards.
Michael Bartlett is an English playwright and screenwriter for film and TV series. His 2015 psychological thriller TV series, Doctor Foster, starring Suranne Jones, won the New Drama award from National Television Awards. Bartlett also won Best Writer from the Broadcast Press Guild Awards. A BBC TV Film of Bartlett's play King Charles III was broadcast in May 2017 and while critically acclaimed, generated some controversy.
Sharon Lorencia Horgan is an Irish actress, writer, director, producer, and comedian. She is best known for creating and starring in the comedy series Pulling (2006–2009), Catastrophe (2015–2019), and Bad Sisters (2022–present). She also created the comedy series Divorce (2016–2019), Motherland (2016–present), and Shining Vale (2022–present).
Siobhan Margaret Finneran is an English actress. She made her screen debut in the 1987 independent film Rita, Sue and Bob Too, and subsequently worked consistently in television drama including roles in Coronation Street (1989–1990), Clocking Off (2000–2002) and The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006). In 2005, Finneran originated the lead female role in the stage play On the Shore of the Wide World and was awarded the Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Also a comedy performer, Finneran appeared as Janice Garvey, a leading character in the first seven series of ITV sitcom Benidorm (2007–2015).
Jack O'Connell is an English actor. He has received various accolades, including a BAFTA Award and nominations for a Critics' Choice Television Award and two British Independent Film Awards.
Lily Jane Collins is a British and American actress and model. Her work in films includes Stuck in Love (2012), The English Teacher (2013), and Love, Rosie (2014), comedy Rules Don't Apply (2016) and Netflix drama To the Bone (2017). Since 2020, she has been portraying the role of Emily Cooper in the Netflix series Emily in Paris.
Aisling Sinead Katie Loftus is a British actress. She began her career as a child actress and gained prominence through her roles in the BBC dramas Five Daughters (2010) and Dive (2010), the play Spur of the Moment, and the film Death of a Superhero (2011).
Douglas John Booth is an English actor and musician. He first came to public attention through his performance as Boy George in the BBC Two film Worried About the Boy (2010). He went on to star in the BBC adaptations of Great Expectations and Christopher and His Kind, Carlo Carlei's film adaptation of Romeo & Juliet (2013), and the Netflix biopic The Dirt (2019).
Richard Madden is a Scottish actor. He was cast in his first role at age 11 and made his screen acting debut in 2000. He later began performing on stage whilst a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In 2007, he toured with Shakespeare's Globe company as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, a role he reprised in the West End in 2016. Madden rose to fame with his portrayal of Robb Stark in the fantasy drama series Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2013.
United is a British television film directed by James Strong and written by Chris Chibnall. It is based on the true story of Manchester United's "Busby Babes" and the aftermath of the 1958 Munich air disaster, with the film's events taking place between August 1956 and May 1958. In particular, the film focuses on the experiences of assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, played by David Tennant, and Bobby Charlton, played by Jack O'Connell.
The Crimson Petal and the White is a 2011 four part television serial, adapted from Michel Faber's 2002 novel The Crimson Petal and the White. Starring Romola Garai as Sugar and Chris O'Dowd as William Rackham, the drama aired in the UK during April 2011 on BBC Two. The supporting cast includes Shirley Henderson, Richard E. Grant and Gillian Anderson. Critical reviews of the drama were mixed but generally positive.
Starred Up is a 2013 British prison crime drama film directed by David Mackenzie and written by Jonathan Asser. Starring Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn and Rupert Friend, the film is based on Jonathan Asser's experiences working as a voluntary therapist at HM Prison Wandsworth, with some of the country's most violent criminals. The title refers to the early transfer of a criminal from a Young Offender Institution to an adult prison.
War & Peace is an historical drama television serial first broadcast on BBC One on 3 January 2016, produced by BBC Cymru Wales, in association with The Weinstein Company, Lookout Point and BBC Worldwide. It is a six-part adaptation of the 1869 novel War and Peace by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, written by Andrew Davies and directed by Tom Harper. War & Peace aired on A&E, Lifetime and History Channel in the United States as four two-hour episodes, beginning on 18 January 2016. The serial stars Paul Dano, Lily James and James Norton in the leading roles.