The BBC has today announced the casting for Danny And The Human Zoo, written by Lenny Henry. It is the fictionalised account of his life as a talented teenager in 1970s Dudley, made by RED Production Company for BBC One. Newcomer Kascion Franklin will play Danny, with Lenny Henry (The Syndicate, The Lenny Henry Show) playing his dad Samson and Cecilia Noble (Nurse, The Bill) his mum Myrtle. Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) plays Danny's Manager Jonesy, Richard Wilson (One Foot In The Grave, Merlin) plays promoter James Broughton, and Mark Benton (Waterloo Road, Land Girls) plays seasoned entertainer Syd Bolton. BAFTA Rising Star Destiny Ekaragha (Rogue, Gone Too Far!) directs. Lenry Henry, writer and playing Samson says: I cant believe that were finally shooting my screenplay Danny And The Human Zoo! This is a fantasy memoir of the first two years of my career - my beginnings, working on the Zoo, working mens clubs and all that stuff that happened to me in the mid-Seventies - but crammed into 90 minutes. The script took about three years with the help of Nicola Shindler and Caroline Hollick at RED Productions and now were going to make it in Dudley - led by a wonderful director Destiny Ekaragha. Theres an incredibly talented cast and I feel very lucky to be a part of it all. Danny's world is a series of complex minefields which he has to negotiate: his home life - which his ebullient mother rules with an iron fist in an iron glove; his love life - where the Irish girl hes in lust with wont give him the time of day until he wins his first competition; and finally the ups and downs of his emerging career. When Danny wins a talent competition at the local club, he soon finds himself working the comedy circuit. Audiences can't get enough and applaud Danny as he effortlessly morphs into Mohammed Ali, Tommy Cooper and Frank Spencer, eventually hitting the big time on TV - an unheard-of achievement for a young black boy. But an unscrupulous manager takes advantage of Danny and forces him to star in a show - Musical Minstrel Cavalcade. Danny hits rock bottom. Having made his name by becoming other people, Danny has to save himself by finding out who he really is. Nicola Shindler, Executive Producer for RED Production Company, says: I am delighted to be working with Lenny on this fantastic script. Danny And The Human Zoo gives the audience an entry into a world very little seen on TV. It's a funny, bold and at times shocking fictionalisation of his story. And is full of the warmth, wit and brilliance we associate with Lenny himself. Polly Hill, Head of Independent Drama at the BBC, adds: It's exciting to see Kascion Franklin gain his first screen credit, alongside our director Destiny Ekaragha in a fictionalised drama of Lenny Henrys early life. Lennys script gives us his take on Britain in the Seventies, often shocking but always with wit and a big heart. Its a beautiful script, with a great cast and we are proud to make it for BBC One. Danny And The Human Zoo will be filming in and around the Dudley area. Juliet Charlesworth is the producer. The drama was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One, and Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning. It is made by RED Production Company for BBC One. The executive producers are Nicola Shindler and Caroline Hollick for RED Production Company and Polly Hill, Head of Independent Drama, for the BBC.
Danny and the Human Zoo
01/05/2015
The BBC has today announced the casting for Danny And The Human Zoo, written by Lenny Henry. It is the fictionalised account of his life as a talented teenager in 1970s Dudley, made by RED Production Company for BBC One. Newcomer Kascion Franklin will play Danny, with Lenny Henry (The Syndicate, The Lenny Henry Show) playing his dad Samson and Cecilia Noble (Nurse, The Bill) his mum Myrtle. Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) plays Danny's Manager Jonesy, Richard Wilson (One Foot In The Grave, Merlin) plays promoter James Broughton, and Mark Benton (Waterloo Road, Land Girls) plays seasoned entertainer Syd Bolton. BAFTA Rising Star Destiny Ekaragha (Rogue, Gone Too Far!) directs. Lenry Henry, writer and playing Samson says: I cant believe that were finally shooting my screenplay Danny And The Human Zoo! This is a fantasy memoir of the first two years of my career - my beginnings, working on the Zoo, working mens clubs and all that stuff that happened to me in the mid-Seventies - but crammed into 90 minutes. The script took about three years with the help of Nicola Shindler and Caroline Hollick at RED Productions and now were going to make it in Dudley - led by a wonderful director Destiny Ekaragha. Theres an incredibly talented cast and I feel very lucky to be a part of it all. Danny's world is a series of complex minefields which he has to negotiate: his home life - which his ebullient mother rules with an iron fist in an iron glove; his love life - where the Irish girl hes in lust with wont give him the time of day until he wins his first competition; and finally the ups and downs of his emerging career. When Danny wins a talent competition at the local club, he soon finds himself working the comedy circuit. Audiences can't get enough and applaud Danny as he effortlessly morphs into Mohammed Ali, Tommy Cooper and Frank Spencer, eventually hitting the big time on TV - an unheard-of achievement for a young black boy. But an unscrupulous manager takes advantage of Danny and forces him to star in a show - Musical Minstrel Cavalcade. Danny hits rock bottom. Having made his name by becoming other people, Danny has to save himself by finding out who he really is. Nicola Shindler, Executive Producer for RED Production Company, says: I am delighted to be working with Lenny on this fantastic script. Danny And The Human Zoo gives the audience an entry into a world very little seen on TV. It's a funny, bold and at times shocking fictionalisation of his story. And is full of the warmth, wit and brilliance we associate with Lenny himself. Polly Hill, Head of Independent Drama at the BBC, adds: It's exciting to see Kascion Franklin gain his first screen credit, alongside our director Destiny Ekaragha in a fictionalised drama of Lenny Henrys early life. Lennys script gives us his take on Britain in the Seventies, often shocking but always with wit and a big heart. Its a beautiful script, with a great cast and we are proud to make it for BBC One. Danny And The Human Zoo will be filming in and around the Dudley area. Juliet Charlesworth is the producer. The drama was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One, and Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning. It is made by RED Production Company for BBC One. The executive producers are Nicola Shindler and Caroline Hollick for RED Production Company and Polly Hill, Head of Independent Drama, for the BBC.
| LINK: | http://www.redproductioncompany.com/latest-from-red/danny-and-the-huma... |
| See more stories from redproduction |
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
14/11/2026
MLB Networks David Maybrown, 57, Passes Away
Longtime MLB Network employee David Maybrown passed away Thursday at the age of 57. David joined MLB Network in 2009 shortly after its launch, beginning as an i...
14/11/2026
Rotary Exciter & Resonator Clamps from ADDAC System
Modular innovators introduce two guitar-based products ADDAC System's recently introduced Four String Series makes it possible to integrate physical str...
14/11/2026
Marcelo Dai's Live Session Captured with URSA Cine Immersive
Marcelo Dai's Live Session Captured with URSA Cine Immersive Brie Clayton November 14, 2026 0 Comments Artist takes viewers on an immersive journe...
14/11/2026
Political Ads Spiked a Week Before Midterm Elections, Nielsen Says
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
14/11/2026
FCC Sends 2027 Upper C-Band Auction Plan Into Motion
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
14/11/2026
ZEISS Showcases Latest Cine Lenses at TorunCAMERIMAGE 202...
Newest Lenses, Horizon Anamorphic Seminar & Guided Lens Character Experience Highlight Creative Possibilities At the 2026 Toru CAMERIMAGE Film Festival, ZEISS...
14/11/2026
Sonnet Announces Black Friday Sale on Select Products
Sonnet Announces Black Friday Sale on Select Products Brie Clayton November 14, 2026 0 Comments WHAT: Sonnet Technologies is having a sale on a select...
14/11/2026
Berklee Alumni Shine at the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards
Berklee Alumni Shine at the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards This year's winners included songwriters, engineers, and performers who contributed to acclaimed reco...
13/11/2026
E1 Series Brings Its Remote-First Broadcast Model to Miami for Season Finale
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
SVG GameDay, Ep. 39: Carolina Hurricanes Christine Williams & Jason Danby - Celebrating a Stanley Cup in Raleigh
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Benson Boone to Headline Entertainment at Discover NHL Winter Classic
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Ambisonic Microphone for Immersive Spatial Audio
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
The Studio B&H and Riedel to Power SMPTE MTS Solutions Hub
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
HPA Sets 2027 Tech Retreat Theme Around a Changing Industry
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch Joins Apple Arcade, with Plants vs. Zombies, Prince of Persia Added Dec. 3
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP and ESPN Announce Two-Year Media Rights Agreement for U.S. and Latin America
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports Adds UFC Ahead of UFC 334
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
NBA Names Fanatics Studios Multiyear Creative and Event Production Partner for NBA All-Star
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
From ManningCast to McAfee to Star Wars: ESPN, Disney Pull Back the Curtain on Super Bowl LXI Plans
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Battle in the Bronx: YES Network Presents 2026 Cortaca Jug at Yankee Stadium
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
HLabs reveal the CL089
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Freedom of Choice White Paper
Download Now! To view the white paper, please enter the following details: -- First Name* First Name Company* Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Cruz Schedules Confirmation Vote for FCC Nominee Thumann-Severs
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Yamaha Acquires Virtual Production Specialist Disguise
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
MyStation App Emulates TV Network' Marketplace
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy integrates with Comcast Technology Solutions Vi...
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max Brie Clayton November 12, 2026 0 Comments First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone Brie Clayton November 12, 2026 0 Comments New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Hub: Despite AI, More Viewers Still Rely on Word of Mouth and Trailers to Find New TV Shows
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Jack Smith Joins Madhive as Chief Product and Technology Officer
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Operative Names Brian Beirne as Senior VP, Commercial Growth
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler to Advise AI Startup
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
IEEE Broadcast Technology Society Honors Dr. Yiyan Wu with the 2026 Jules Cohen Award
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Vizrt Acquires Chyron
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Samsung Ads to Offer 3 New Interactive Formats
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
HPA Retreat to Explore Changing Shape of Industry
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
The Studio B&H, Riedel to Equip SMPTE Media Tech Summit
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Tegna Promotes 3 Sales Executives to President and GM
Share {alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi and Golden Times Media Technology to Bring Chinese...
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI and Cedar Broadcast and Communications deploy advance...
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
The Studio BH and Riedel Communications Power the SMPTE...
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia Brings Software-First DRAM Optimization to Android...
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Apple HomeView available today - UPDATE - Posted on 13 November 2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
How AI Is Helping Care Teams Get Patients the Right Care, Sooner
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients. Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
The Software-Defined Shift: A Discussion on the Technologies Reshaping Live Sports Production
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
SVG Students to Watch: Addison Carnow, University of North Carolina
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote Survey: 78% of Viewers 18-24 Want a Single Program Guide Across Streaming Services
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
