Zooport
An Exclusive New Comedy-Drama Taster Heading To BBC iPlayer
As Part of BBC Cymru Wales’s Season Of Scripted Pilots.
Scandal. Second Chances. Newport.
Premiering on BBC iPlayer on October 30th, followed by a BBC Wales broadcast on November 20th, Zooport is a bold, honest, funny look at modern mixed-race Welsh identity, imposter syndrome and hometown relationships that stretch across time and distance.
Created, written, and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Darragh Mortell (I Am Kanye West, Halfway) and produced by David P. Davis (Executive Producer, HBO/BBC’s Industry) for the BBC Wales Scripted Taster Series, the comedy drama pilot stars Jim Caesar (Youth, Big Boys) as disgraced filmmaker Dav Walsh.
Caesar is joined by Carly-Sophia Davies (The Eternal Daughter, Out There) and Sam C. Wilson (Masters of the Universe, Blade Runner 2099). The stellar ensemble also features scene stealing appearances from Arthur Aliiev (Camouflage), Charlie Brooks (Lie with Me, The Ocean at the End of the Lane), Kimberley Nixon (Fresh Meat, The Tuckers), and Rakie Ayola (Bad Apples, Kaos).
Synopsis
When Dav, a BAFTA-winning filmmaker is hit by an industry scandal, he returns to his hometown of Newport in a bid to rescue his career. Instead, he’s plunged into a whirlwind of past mistakes from unresolved history with an ex, to a volatile reunion with his former best friend and a bizarre new home life featuring a brooding, Ukrainian refugee and Dav’s extremely available mother. Part of the BBC’s Taster Season, Zooport is a comedy drama about identity and the complicated relationships we all have with that place we call ‘home’.
“This taster sets up Dav’s world back in Newport and the encounters he has, some planned, some not. It’s basically ‘a (worst) day in the life’. I was inspired by American comedy-dramas like Atlanta, Insecure and Ramy that have extremely rich characters, as well as an authentic depiction of a city so specific that it becomes universally recognisable.”
People
Darragh Mortell
Creator, Writer & Director
Darragh Mortell is a writer & director, represented by Curtis Brown, who works across television, audio and film. A BBC Writersroom alum, his debut radio play, I Am Kanye West, won the 2020 Prix Europa for Best European Fiction. He has since written three original series for Radio 4, including 2026’s social thriller The Courier, starring Maeve Courtier-Lilley (Gran Turismo) and Mohammed Elsandel (Hijack).
His short films have attracted talents such as Asim Chaudhry (Barbie) and Holly Dempsey (Afterlife). As a second unit director, he has worked with Ella Balinska (Charlie’s Angels), Sally Hawkins and Mark Rylance. He has various projects in paid development, including a feature film and a stage play.
David P. Davis (Producer) and Darragh Mortell on the Zooport Set
Cast
Jim Caesar (Youth, Big Boys)
Carly-Sophia Davies (The Eternal Daughter, Out There)
Sam C. Wilson (Masters of the Universe, Blade Runner 2099)
Rakie Ayola (Bad Apples, Kaos)
Kimberley Nixon (Fresh Meat, The Tuckers)
Charlie Brooks (Lie With Me)
Arthur Aliiev (Camouflage)
Darren Evans (House of the Dragon, The Guest)
Creative Team
Writer, Creator & Director: Darragh Mortell (I Am Kanye West, Halfway)
Producer / Executive Producer: David P. Davis (Executive Producer, HBO/BBC’s
Industry)
Executive Producer for BBC: Paul Forde (Mammoth, Death Valley)
Line Producer: Emma Morley (I Hate Suzie, Andy and the Band)
Casting Director: Hannah Marie Williams (Dead Point)
Director of Photography: Tom Doran (Mauled by a Dog)
Production Designer: Stephen Nicholas (Boarders, Crongton)
Hair & Make-Up Designer: Victoria Nugent (Industry, The White Lotus)
Costume Designer: Caylee Webber (Industry, Damsel)
Production Sound Mixer: Gareth Meirion Thomas (Industry, Doctor Who)
Editor: Lee Bhogal (Industry, Life and Death in the Warehouse)