'Grantchester's Charlotte Ritchie to Star in 'Legends'

Netflix initially announced it was picking up Legends, the newest pitch for a thriller based on one of the U.K.'s high-profile heists from writer Neil Forsyth, in August 2024. Forsyth was coming off a major hit in the U.K. His critically adored six-part Hugh Bonneville starring The Gold had been renewed for a second season despite a disastrous debut in the U.S. on Paramount+ and, more importantly, the poor series had been rescued by PBS and Masterpiece, which would air both seasons. (At least with Netflix, Forsyth could be somewhat guaranteed marketing, at least in. the U.K.) 

Though Legends is not directly related to The Gold, the two series are spiritual siblings; the latter is about the criminals who pulled off one of the biggest gold heists in U.K. history in the mid-1980s. The former is about British Customs officials in the mid-1990s taking down a slow-motion heist already in progress as they infiltrate drug cartels, both with absolutely stacked casts. Also, like The Gold, Legends is not based on a specific book, but the history behind the series can be found in Tom Chandler's Narco Wars. The Gripping Story of How British Agents Infiltrated the Colombian Drug Cartels. 

Legends will be fronted by a foursome of stars that most Anglophiles will recognize easily. Charlotte Ritchie, who fans will recognize from Grantchester, is part of the leading ensemble, alongside Tom Burke (War & Peace), Hayley Squires (The Miniaturist), and legendary comedian Steve Coogan (Brian & Maggie).

Here's the series' synopsis:

Legends is inspired by real-life criminal investigations following a group of British Customs employees sent undercover to infiltrate some of the U.K.’s most dangerous criminal drug gangs. In the early ’90s, her Majesty’s Customs and Excise was losing its battle with illegal drug smuggling across Britain’s borders. The solution was extraordinary. In a top-secret operation, a small Customs employee team was sent undercover. Their task — to infiltrate Britain’s most dangerous drug gangs.

But these were not trained spies. They were normal men and women, plucked from ordinary lives around the UK, put through a basic training regime, and tasked with building new identities in the criminal underworld. These identities were called legends.

Ritchie, Coogan, Squires, and Burke are joined by a supporting cast that includes several other PBS favorites, including Tom Hughes (Victoria), Jasmine Blackborow (Marie Antoinette), Gerald Kyd (Ridley), Douglas Hodge (The Great), Aml Ameen (I May Destroy You), and Johnny Harris (A Gentleman in Moscow).

Forsyth penned all six episodes of Legends with directors Brady Hood (Prime Target) and Julian Holmes (Noughts & Crosses) splitting helming duties and Charlie Leech producing. Forsyth and Ben Farrell executive produce for Tannadice, and Richard Bradley does the same for All3Media stablemate Lion Television. 

Legends is currently filming in the U.K. The series is expected to debut on Netflix in 2026.