A BBC drama that tells the story of Chester Zoo airs on primetime TV on September 3.
A handful of household names including Bafta award-winning actress Anne Reid and The Royle Family star Ralf Little have roles in the six-part miniseries Our Zoo, based on the true story of the Mottershead family, who established the zoo back in the 1930s.
The story follows the journey of patriarch George, played by Inspector George Gently star Lee Ingleby, an ex-serviceman who, haunted by traumatic memories of the war, sets his heart on building the first ever British zoo without bars.
Viewers will see George face a string of challenges as he moves his wife, two young daughters and parents - and a monkey and a parrot - into a draughty old stately home, and with mounting debts, no resources or manpower and a concerted campaign from the local villagers to halt George’s plans entirely, he soon realises that creating a zoo is no easy feat.
Also appearing in the drama, which was filmed on location in Liverpool and Walton Hall Park in Warrington, will be Life on Mars actress Liz White who plays George’s loyal wife Lizzie, and Transformers star Sophia Myles as mysterious aristocrat Lady Katherine.
George’s daughter June Williams, nee Mottershead, who was a four-year-old pupil at Chester’s Ursuline School when her father bought the zoo in 1931, told The Chronicle earlier this year that she was ‘excited’ about seeing her family’s story aired on national TV.
The 87-year-old, who still lives in Upton today, said: “I’m glad the story’s being told like this – I think it’s a privilege. “There was a bad reaction to the zoo at first because I think people were frightened of the noise and whether the wild animals might get out. In those days Upton had lots of large houses and businessmen living there and they didn’t want something like this coming in and taking over.”
In an interview about his new role as George, Lee Ingleby said he admired the tenacity of the Mottershead family despite the challenges they faced.
“It was just one of those scripts that just stood out. I liked the family within it and the fact that it is a true story and at the very heart of it, there’s this nice tale of someone trying to do some good,” he said.
“And, you know, there is a little bit of George doing it for himself - but I think ultimately it is to create this haven. I just liked it. I liked him. I liked his drive, I liked his vision, I liked the way that everything was against him and around him and I wanted to marry everything and create this wonderful thing.
“I didn’t know the story or anything like that and so, looking in to it more and realising the lengths that they went to. I don’t think that would ever happen today; there would be too many restrictions and barriers and people just laughing, you know, to the point where he’d be like ‘Forget it’ and go back to his life.”
A BBC spokesperson confirmed the show will air on Wednesday September 3 at 9pm.
A trailer is available to watch here:
