New BBC2 series White Heat starts 9.00pm on Thursday, 8th March

© BBC - ITV Studios
Cast of White Heat

A new epic drama for BBC2 written and created by Paula Milne, White Heat charts the lives of seven friends from 1965 through to the present day. Their relationships - complex, volatile, life affirming and life changing - start when they come together as a diverse group of young students to live as flatmates in London's Tufnell Park: rebel with a cause Jack played by Sam Claflin, intelligent feminist Charlotte played by Claire Foy, fragile beauty Lily played by MyAnna Buring, medical student Jay played by Reece Ritchie, electronics geek Alan played by Lee Ingleby, law student Victor played by David Gyasi and kind hearted Orla by Jessica Gunning.
The series follows them over almost five decades as their lives, loves and destinies are shaped by the political events of each era - from the death of Churchill, the union strife of the Seventies, the ascendancy of Thatcher, the Falklands, AIDS, the end of the Cold War to the present day. Their interwoven personal lives play out against the backcloth of these crucial events to make them the people they are today. White Heat is directed by John Alexander and produced by Elinor Day. The executive producers for ITV Studios are Paula Milne and Kate Bartlett and the executive producer for the BBC is Lucy Richer.


The first episode starts on BBC2 8th March at 9.00pm and is called The Past is a Foreign Country.