BORN FOR THE LENS, BUILT FOR THE VAULT
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In 2018, a catastrophic cyber attack brought the United Kingdom to its knees. Infrastructure was weaponised, communications were shut down, and commercial airliners were steered into populated areas. For two harrowing weeks, the country was plunged into darkness-claiming over twelve thousand civilian lives.
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In the devastating aftermath, the state faced an unavoidable truth: no existing agency had the speed, scope, or cross-departmental authority to stop the collapse.
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From a tense Cabinet Office briefing room in 2018, Phoenix Division was born. Spearheaded by Ros Shaw, Beckett Shaw, and Ed Mitchell, the unit secured its sovereign parliamentary charter-uniting law enforcement, intelligence access, and cutting-edge cyber response under a single banner.
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Years later, Phoenix Division stands fully established in broad daylight-an unyielding firewall operating outside political noise. But protecting a modern state comes at a heavy cost.
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As new threats emerge, Phoenix Division must navigate a compromised world where the lines between technical warfare, political corruption, and national security are dangerously blurred.
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Inspired by the legacy of the classic BBC series Bugs, Phoenix reimagines the modern British tech thriller through a grounded, character-led, and politically charged lens.
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It was built to protect the system.
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Now it must answer to it.
In 2018, a coordinated cyber-terrorist attack brought the United Kingdom to its knees. Aircraft fell from the sky. Infrastructure collapsed. For seventy-two hours, the country was forced offline — and no one was ever identified.
In the aftermath, a covert programme was built in secret.
Phoenix.
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A cross-agency unit designed to identify threats early and act before the damage is done.
It was never activated.
Buried by the very bureaucracy it was created to bypass, Phoenix became a rumour - a contingency that never left the page.
Years later, a mission fails. Lives are lost. The truth disappears behind official accounts and shifting blame. When one of their own goes rogue and a kill-on-sight order is issued, the system begins to turn in on itself.
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With no clear answers and no one left to trust, Phoenix is finally brought online - operating beyond oversight.
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What begins as a manhunt becomes something far more dangerous.
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Each case is built on incomplete intelligence, conflicting accounts, and decisions made before the truth is fully understood.
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Inspired by the legacy of Bugs, but built as a completely original series.
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It was built to protect the system.
Now it has to decide whether the system is worth protecting.
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BEYOND THE PILOT
This isn’t nostalgia. This is an evolution.
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Phoenix is an original, high-concept British television drama built for mainstage broadcaster and streaming distribution.
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Production is currently active on key sizzle sequences-headlined by the high-stakes 2018 Cabinet Office prologue where Ros, Beckett, and Ed fight to establish the charter, and the present-day tribunal where architect of the collapse, Daniel Kavanagh, faces Phoenix justice.
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Structured as a flagship pilot with a full 6-part series arc, Phoenix bridges the gap between the 2018 catastrophe and present-day operations, scaling from immediate cyber strikes to deep-rooted institutional conspiracies.
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As Phoenix Division investigates each modern crisis, the series dives into long-form character drama, high-stakes political friction, and the human cost of modern technical warfare.
THE CAST
Jaye Griffiths joins the cast of PHOENIX as Ros Shaw - a character defined by formidable intelligence, political resilience, and an unwavering drive to challenge institutional abuse of power.
A commanding presence across flagship British television for nearly four decades, Jaye’s iconic career includes lead and standout roles in Bugs, Doctor Who, Silent Witness, Vera, Casualty, and The Bill. Her return to this thematic universe bridges classic British television pedigree with a modern, high-stakes drama package built for contemporary audiences.
In PHOENIX, Ros Shaw stands at the ultimate crossroad of authority and accountability.
Following the 2018 Blackout Catastrophe - a fortnight-long collapse that claimed twelve thousand lives - Ros becomes a primary architect of Phoenix Division. In the high-stakes Cabinet Office prologue, she directly confronts government leadership to establish a standing national safeguard with the authority, cross-agency reach, and technical capability to act before catastrophic damage is done.
Years later, as Phoenix Division operates in broad daylight, Ros must navigate the moral weight, political scrutiny, and human cost of the power she helped create.
Jaye brings unmatched gravitas and authenticity to Ros Shaw, evolving an iconic screen archetype into a modern leader carrying greater experience, heavier responsibility, and the burden of protecting a fragile nation.
JAYE GRIFFITHS - Ros Shaw
PAULA HUNT - Alex Mitchell
Paula Hunt brings a grounded intensity as she returns as Assistant Director Alex Mitchell - a specialist defined by instinct, resilience, and the ability to act under pressure.
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With a natural, understated screen presence, Paula delivers a performance rooted in realism. Her strength lies in restraint-conveying thought, conflict, and intent without the need for exposition-making her ideally suited to a narrative built on high-stakes political and technical warfare.
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In PHOENIX, Alex serves as a vital operational anchor within Phoenix Division. Having survived the aftermath of the 2018 Blackout Catastrophe, she operates at the core of the leadership team alongside Ros Shaw and Director Beckett Shaw.
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As Assistant Director, she is present at the highest level of operations and proceedings-including the intense present-day tribunal of Daniel Kavanagh-representing the quiet, unyielding resolve required to protect a fragile state.
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Paula's involvement highlights the series' unique ability to honor classic British tech-thriller DNA while placing trusted, experienced operatives into an uncompromising modern narrative.
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Paula Hunt brings a grounded intensity to the role of Alex Mitchell - a specialist defined by instinct, resilience, and the ability to act under pressure.
With a natural, understated screen presence, her performance is rooted in realism, conveying thought and conflict with quiet precision.
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At the centre of Phoenix’s opening arc, Alex becomes the catalyst for everything that follows. When a mission collapses and the official narrative begins to unravel, she is pushed beyond the system she once trusted - forced into isolation as the truth becomes harder to define.
Even in absence, her presence drives the investigation forward. Every lead, every decision, and every question traces back to her.
Craig McLachlan is an award-winning actor, musician, and performer with a distinguished career spanning television, film, and stage. Known to British audiences for his lead role in the iconic BBC action-thriller Bugs, he brings a depth of experience and a powerful, character-driven presence to the world of Phoenix.
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His performances are defined by authenticity, control, and a rare ability to balance tactical authority with raw human vulnerability. Craig consistently grounds high-stakes, technical storytelling in something deeply felt and believable.
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In PHOENIX, Ed Mitchell is a core pillar of the division and one of its founding operational voices.
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In the 2018 Cabinet Office prologue, following the harrowing loss of life during the Blackout Catastrophe, Ed delivers a devastating, grounded defense of the Phoenix Programme—confronting cynical politicians and demanding action for the victims when bureaucracy chose to wait.
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Years later, as Phoenix Division stands as an established national safeguard, Ed remains on the frontlines. Whether conducting high-risk operations or standing silent guard over architect of the collapse Daniel Kavanagh during his historic tribunal, Ed’s presence adds immense weight to a world shaped by consequence, history, and unyielding duty.
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Craig’s involvement reunites classic screen pedigree, bringing Ed Mitchell into a bold, modern narrative where the fight to protect the state comes at a deeply personal cost.
CRAIG MCLACHLAN - Ed Mitchell
Craig McLachlan is an award-winning actor, musician, and performer with a career spanning television, film, and stage.
Known to British audiences for his work on the BBC series Bugs, he brings depth of experience and a strong, character-driven presence to Phoenix.
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His performances are defined by authenticity and control - balancing authority, vulnerability, and quiet intensity.
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In Phoenix, his presence adds weight to a story shaped by consequence, history, and unresolved truth.
JESSE BIRDSALL - Beckett Shaw
Jesse Birdsall is a highly respected British actor with a long-standing career across television, film, and theatre. Known for his authoritative screen presence and controlled, character-led performances, he brings immense depth, gravity, and credibility to roles shaped by high-level authority and institutional history.
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His work is defined by restraint-portraying leaders who carry immense responsibility beneath a calm exterior, where tension sits firmly below the surface rather than being performed.
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In PHOENIX, Jesse takes on the central role of Director Beckett Shaw, the strategic architect and head of Phoenix Division.
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Alongside Ros Shaw and Ed Mitchell, Beckett stands at the very origin of the division-co-authoring the radical charter in a tense 2018 Cabinet Office briefing room following the catastrophic Blackout.
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Years later, as Director of Phoenix Division, Beckett carries the quiet weight of the sovereign power he helped create. From the shadows of high-level government operations to watching with intense focus as terrorist architect Daniel Kavanagh faces Phoenix justice in the courtroom, Beckett remains the unyielding, strategic anchor protecting a fragile nation from the threats inside and outside the system.
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Jesse’s performance delivers a commanding, nuanced portrayal of a leader navigating high-stakes politics, institutional friction, and the personal cost of national defense
Jesse Birdsall is a highly respected British actor with a long-standing career across television, film, and theatre, known for his authoritative screen presence and controlled, character-led performances.
His work is defined by restraint - portraying individuals who carry history without needing to explain it.
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In Phoenix, he plays Beckett Shaw, a man shaped by years inside the system - and by the moment it failed him.
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After a mission ends in disaster, Beckett is left to confront fractured loyalties, unanswered questions, and the uncertain fate of those closest to him.
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At the same time, he carries a responsibility he cannot walk away from - a daughter drawn into a world he would have kept her far from.
MARTINA AVOGADRI - Jade Wilson
Martina Avogadri is a London-based actress whose international screen credits include the Netflix blockbuster feature Lift(produced by and starring Kevin Hart, alongside Jean Reno). Trained at the prestigious Paolo Grassi Drama School in Milan, Martina brings intense emotional depth, screen presence, and global appeal to the series.
In PHOENIX, Martina plays Jade Wilson-a key representative of the new generation of operatives who make up the modern Phoenix Division.
Bringing cutting-edge investigative capabilities to the frontline, Jade operates at the intersection of modern technology and high-stakes field response. But working within Phoenix Division forces her to confront the grim realities of high-level national security-and the immense personal toll carried by those who protect the state.
Her conflict is laid bare in moments like the tribunal of terrorist architect Daniel Kavanagh, where escorting the man responsible for thousands of lives forces Jade to process the heavy, lasting weight of the life they now lead.
Martina’s performance captures the vital bridge between the veteran guard and the next generation of operatives, bringing vulnerability, sharp intellect, and quiet strength to the team.
WILL FRAZER - Jamie Nash
Will Frazer brings sharp focus, physical presence, and tactical authority to the role of Jamie, a key operational officer serving in the modern Phoenix Division.
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In PHOENIX, Jamie works directly alongside Ed Mitchell and Jade Wilson on the frontline of Phoenix operations. Representing the core response unit of the division, Jamie stands at the intersection of traditional law enforcement tactical discipline and high-stakes technical response.
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Whether executing high-risk escorts or standing guard over high-profile detainees-such as terrorist architect Daniel Kavanagh during his historic tribunal-Jamie embodies the quiet efficiency and unyielding vigilance required of the new generation of Phoenix agents.
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Will’s grounded performance adds tactical authenticity to the team dynamics, establishing Jamie as a crucial operational anchor as Phoenix Division faces expanding modern threats.
WILL FRAZER - Jamie Nash
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Will Frazer is a London-based actor working across stage and screen, known for grounded, character-led performances shaped by both classical training and contemporary work.
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His style is defined by naturalism - an ability to play within uncertainty, where decisions are made in real time and the truth is rarely clear.
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In Phoenix, he plays Jamie Nash, an agent caught in the fallout of a mission that went catastrophically wrong.
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Branded responsible, Jamie is forced back into a system that has already judged him - tasked with uncovering the truth while navigating pressure, suspicion, and conflicting loyalties.