The First Images From 'The Way' Depict a Civil Uprising In an Industrial Town

The first images have arrived for the upcoming BBC drama The Way, a series that follows the story of an ordinary family caught up in an extraordinary chain of events that ripple out from their hometown.

The three-part series is particularly notable as it marks the television directorial debut of Good Omens star Michael Sheen, who also appears in the drama, though since he's not in any of these first look photos --- which show the rest of the main cast in character --- I think we have to assume his on-screen role is a fairly limited one. 

The Way follows the story of how the Driscoll family is forced to leave their homes and everything they know when their Welsh community is gripped by civil unrest.

“I feel very lucky to get to work every day with these phenomenal actors," Sheen, who is also one of the drama's co-creators, said in a statement when the series was announced. "We’ve always had so much acting talent here in Wales and I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to tell this extraordinary story with the very best at work today.” 

Sheen, who was born in Newport, South Wales, has long been an outspoken advocate for Welsh performers and Welsh drama in general. 

“The team behind The Way are a class act," said Nick Andrews, the Head of Commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales. "They personify just how hot drama production is in Wales right now. This is our biggest year ever of drama for BBC Cymru Wales and the talent pipeline is astonishing. It is terrific to be working with this team and I know our audiences are going to love the story they’re telling.  It’s one hell of a caper.”

The Way stars Steffan Rhodri (Steeltown Murders), Mali Harries (Hinterland), Sophie Melville (The Pact), Callum Scott Howells (It's A Sin), and Sheen lead the cast as the Driscoll family, with Maja Laskowska (Baptiste) as a young woman who finds herself caught up in the family’s escape.

The cast also includes Luke Evans (The Pembrokeshire Murders) as Hogwood, a mercenary in pursuit of the Driscolls, alongside an impressive ensemble that includes Tom Cullen (The Gold), Danny Sapani (The Diplomat), Mark Lewis Jones (Outlander), Paul Rhys (A Discovery of Witches), Erin Richards (The Crown), Aneurin Barnard (1899), Catherine Ayers (Keeping Faith), Patrick Baladi (Line of Duty), Georgia Tennant (Staged), Jonathan Nefydd (Pobol y Cwm), and Matthew Aubrey (World on Fire). Child actor Teilo James Le Masurier will also make his screen debut as Rhys, the Driscolls' 4-year-old grandson.

The series has been called ambitious, powerful, and surprising, as well as an emotional and darkly humorous story about what it means to be faced with impossible choices.

Here's the synopsis:

Ambitious, powerful and surprising, The Way taps into the social and political chaos of today’s world by imagining a civil uprising which begins in a small industrial town. Fleeing unrest, The Driscolls are forced to escape the country they’ve always called home and the certainties of their old lives. Will they be overwhelmed by their memories of the past, or will they lay their ghosts to rest and take the risk of an unknown future?

The Way is written by James Graham (Sherwood), directed by Sheen in his television directorial debut, and is produced by Derek Ritchie. Graham, Sheen and Curits join Bethan Jones as executive producers for Red Seam, with Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC and Nick Andrews for BBC Cymru Wales. 

The Way was filmed in and around Port Talbot in Wales and will air on BBC One and iPlayer next year. The series does not yet have an American distributor but one has to that, in the wake of Good Omens' success, Sheen's involvement in the project both in front of and behind the camera will stir up some interest in the drama. (Personally, the series' vibes say it's a perfect fit for BritBox to me, but you never know!)