{"id":587899,"date":"2026-09-02T11:42:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T11:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/587899\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T11:42:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T11:42:12","slug":"bbcs-powerful-norfolk-set-drama-with-exceptional-cast-gets-emotional-trailer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/587899\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC&#8217;s &#8220;powerful&#8221; Norfolk-set drama with &#8220;exceptional&#8221; cast gets emotional trailer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The first trailer has been released for Onwards and Sideways, the highly-anticipated drama that will air on the BBC later this year. Starring Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans, the film follows two strangers brought together after being diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s Disease.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Described as &#8220;a powerful, life-affirming British drama,&#8221; Onwards and Sideways is directed by Shakespeare in Love&#8217;s John Madden and written by Paul Mayhew-Archer.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"laura linney, rhys ifans, onwards and sideways\" title=\"EMBARGOED 20\/07\/2026 15:35 Laura Linney, Rhys Ifans, Onwards and Sideways\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2500\" height=\"3750\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cd3c407d-3591-4be6-bbe7-052ff2d5dc33.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"14\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Best streaming services\" data-node-id=\"14.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best streaming services<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a73189372\/onwards-sideways-bbc-first-look-monica-dolan\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a73189372\/onwards-sideways-bbc-first-look-monica-dolan\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"The film\" data-node-id=\"18.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The film<\/a>&#8216;s logline reads: &#8220;Tony Evans is deputy head of a primary school. Emma Dretzin is a musician and composer, and single mother of two daughters. Neither knows the other. Until a startling encounter changes the course of their lives.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;On the same morning, these two are confronted with a diagnosis of Parkinson\u2019s Disease. This film is the story of Tony and Emma &#8211; a friendship which unfolds unexpectedly.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"26\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;A story of humour and emotion, of challenge and courage, of music and dance &#8211; transcending the assumptions of a little understood condition, and triumphing over the odds to find joy, release and love,&#8221; the synopsis adds.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The trailer shows the first meeting of Tony and Emma after they both receive the same devastating diagnosis. We then see them bonding while trying new things, all to keep a smile on their face as they&#8217;re confronted with an uncertain future. <\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"embargoed 20072026 1535 onwards and sideways\" title=\"EMBARGOED 20\/07\/2026 15:35 Onwards and Sideways\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/758d97ce-b0ee-4ee6-89f6-b8942efc53d4.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"36\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a29669\/uk-film-release-dates\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a29669\/uk-film-release-dates\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"UK film release dates\" data-node-id=\"36.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UK film release dates<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"40\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Alongside Ifans and Linney the cast also includes Sherwood&#8217;s Monica Dolan and Penny Dreadful star Rory Kinnear.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"44\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69170593\/bbc-confirms-cast-for-norfolk-set-drama\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-node-id=\"44.1\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69170593\/bbc-confirms-cast-for-norfolk-set-drama\/\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the project&#039;s announcement last October\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the project&#8217;s announcement last October<\/a>, producer Hilary Bevan Jones described the cast as&#8221;exceptional&#8221;, adding: &#8220;Paul&#8217;s wonderful script has made me laugh, cry, and think about all that life has to offer. I hope this film will strike a chord with everyone.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"48\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival later this month before releasing in select cinemas in November and then heading to BBC iPlayer and BBC One.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"52\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Onwards and Sideways will be released in UK cinemas from 6 November, before airing on BBC One and iPlayer later this year.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"57\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Streaming Guide\" data-node-id=\"57.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"61\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsarianagrande\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsarianagrande\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online\" data-node-id=\"61.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/bf27485d-d6ab-47b2-bab1-8e1da89fcf98_1775134468.file.png\" alt=\"Headshot of Stephanie Chase\" title=\"Headshot of Stephanie Chase\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Reporter, Digital Spy \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie is a freelance news writer, who previously covered WWE and AEW for Digital Spy.<\/p>\n<p>After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she studied journalism at Birkbeck University.<\/p>\n<p>Outside of her work at Digital Spy, she writes about pop culture, with a special focus towards Irish media and how it intersects with politics.<\/p>\n<p>You can read more of her work on her <a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/@stephaniechase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Substack<\/a> page.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stephaniemchase\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first trailer has been released for Onwards and Sideways, the highly-anticipated drama that will air on the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":587900,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[147144,2115,289313,2117,156,207184,2116,409,111,139,69,289312,251090],"class_list":["post-587899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-collection-latest-news","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-0df832c4-cb74-4331-acd6-d9c7b5b2b2d6","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-movies","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-shorttitle-bbcs-powerful-drama-with-exceptional-cast-gets-trailer","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=587899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587899\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/587900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=587899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=587899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=587899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}