PBS Distribution has announced the
Masterpiece series Blu-ray release of
Breathless, starring Jack Davenport as a brilliant surgeon in 1960s London who believes he can make a difference in womens' lives. The ITV Studios production arrives on Blu-ray on August 26th.
Synopsis:
Breathless follows the lives of a group of doctors and nurses working in a London hospital, a world in which everything and everyone has their place. But underneath this veneer simmers a cauldron of lies and guilty secrets, driven by love, ambition and sex. The series opens in 1961, a time when Britain was on the brink of the '60s revolution, abortion is illegal and the contraceptive pill is only just available to married women. Set in and around a busy gynecology unit, medicine becomes the perfect stage to play out the shifting and complex moral codes of early 1960s society. Other cast members include Zoe Boyle and Iain Glen of
Downton Abbey and Natasha Little.
Tobias de Graaff, Director of Global Television Distribution, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, said: "
Breathless has all the characteristics of a drama with strong global appeal: a captivating story, a charismatic and talented cast, including the internationally-renowned Jack Davenport, and sumptuous production values. We're delighted to be working with
Masterpiece and we look forward to huge interest from international clients eager to get their hands on ITV Studios and
Masterpiece's highly anticipated new drama."
PBS executive producer Rebecca Eaton said: " Television dramas that tell
good stories about womens' lives in the 20th century are endlessly interesting to me... and
apparently to lots of other people. Look at the appeal of
Call the Midwife and
Mad Men. We're all fascinated by the enormous changes that happened just a short time ago.
Breathless is a sharp, visually-rich portrait of a group of people on the cusp of change: the 1960s."
Breathless is co-created and written by Paul Unwin (
Shameless,
Poirot), who also directs the first two episodes of the series. It is executive
produced by Kate Bartlett for ITV Studios and Rebecca Eaton for
Masterpiece with Paul Unwin.
PBS Distribution has yet to detail tech specs or special features.