The Pact producers difficult decision to cut characters from series

The Pact: Trailer for season two of BBC drama

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BBC viewers were gripped by the first series of The Pact which followed the mystery surrounding the death of a brewery boss. Four staff members Anna (played by Laura Fraser) Nancy, (Julie Hesmondhalgh) Cat (Heledd Gwynn) and Louie (Eiry Thomas) made a pact of silence after their boss was declared dead before the person responsible was eventually unearthed. The second series will land on BBC One this week, but the characters from the first outing have been replaced by a new cast as a brand-new storyline unfolds. 

The Pact’s producer Elwen Rowlands felt the cast and crew had the “magic formula” for the success of its opening series, with former Coronation Street star Julie playing the leading role. 

When asked about the key to the opening season’s popularity, Elwen told Express.co.uk: “It’s really hard to tell precisely, but I think it was a combination of things. It was a brilliant who did it full of twists and turns which kept the audience guessing. 

“We also had brilliant characters and the cast really delivered and I think there was this relatability of the characters which people really connected to.”

Elwen, who has also worked on Life on Mars, added: “I think it always comes down to a good plot, but it’s the characters which pull the audience into a story.” 

She admitted it was “a difficult decision” to use new characters in the second series and not welcome Laura, Julie, Heledd and Eiry back to the drama. 

The producer admitted: “Season one was very successful and we fell in love with those characters and you do have a moment where you think, ‘Gosh, should we just continue this story?’

“But we felt the most interesting bits of their story had already been told and it was the right decision to move on.” 

Writer Pete McTighe agreed, adding: “I loved those characters and I love the idea of returning to them again as it really was an irresistible temptation. 

“But I just felt going back to those characters and that story would kind of undermine what they had been through during series one. 

“I always had a least five or six stories in mind which could sit under this umbrella idea about various types of pacts so it kind of grew from that really.”

The second series centres around a grieving family whose lives are upturned by a stranger claiming they have a shocking connection with them. 

Rakie Ayola plays the leading character, named Christine Rees, in the season. 

She plays a Welsh social worker who is grieving the death of her son Liam with the rest of her family. 

Her life takes a sinister turn when a man comes into her life called Connor (Jordan Wilks) who looks identical to her late son. 

A statement from the BBC said: “The family have their lives turned upside down when a stranger, Connor (Jordan Wilks), arrives in town claiming a connection that nobody could have imagined.

“As buried secrets come to light, they must consider who they are and grapple with morality and divided loyalty. 

As Christine and her children’s lives spiral out of control, a terrible pact may be all that can save them.

Episodes for the six-part series will air weekly on BBC One but the boxset will be available on BBC iPlayer. 

The Pact season two lands on BBC on Monday at 9pm and will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer. 

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