BBC AMERICA'S FIRST ORIGINAL DRAMA, "COPPER," TO PREMIERE AUGUST 19

1860s New York City drama from Emmy(R)-winner Tom Fontana, Academy Award(R)-nominee Will Rokos and Academy Award(R)-winner Barry Levinson

New York - Monday, April 2, 2012 - BBC AMERICA has announced the channel's first original drama, COPPER, set in 1860s New York City, will premiere Sunday, August 19, 9:00pm ET/PT.

Tanya Fischer (The Defenders, Life on Mars) joins the cast of COPPER as Molly Stuart, an ambitious courtesan at Eva's Paradise. The 10-part drama centers on Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones, MI-5), an intense, rugged Irish-American cop working the city's notorious Five Points neighborhood. Corcoran is struggling to maintain his moral compass in a turbulent world, while on an emotional and relentless quest to learn the truth about the disappearance of his wife and the death of his daughter. His friendship with two Civil War compatriots - the wayward son of a wealthy industrialist and an African American physician who secretly assists Corcoran with his detective work - takes him to the contrasting worlds of elegant Fifth Avenue and an emerging African-American community in rural northern Manhattan. The three men share a secret from their experience on the battlefield that inextricably links their lives forever.

The series is created by Emmy(R)-winner Tom Fontana (Oz, Homicide: Life on the Streets, St. Elsewhere) and Academy Award(R)-nominee Will Rokos (Monster's Ball, Southland) and among the executive producers are Academy Award(R)-winner Barry Levinson (Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man, You Don't Know Jack), Cineflix Media Co-CEO Glen Salzman, Cineflix Studios President Christina Wayne (Broken Trail and executive in charge of Mad Men), Fontana and Rokos.

The previously announced cast includes Franka Potente (The Bourne Supremacy, Run Lola Run) as Eva Heissen, a shrewd businesswoman and the madam of Eva's Paradise; Kyle Schmid (Blood Ties, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) as Robert Morehouse, a handsome bon vivant and part of Manhattan aristocracy; Anastasia Griffith (Royal Pains, Damages) as the sophisticated and spirited Elizabeth Haverford; Ato Essandoh (Damages) as Doctor Matthew Freeman, who secretly assists Corcoran with his work; Kevin Ryan (Tripping Tommy) as Detective Francis Maguire, Corcoran's closet friend and partner in the 6th Precinct; Dylan Taylor (Covert Affairs) as Andrew O'Brien, colleague and companion to Corcoran and Maguire; Ron White (The Line) as Captain Ciaran Joseph Sullivan, who is more often concerned about his reputation than seeking justice for victims; Kiara Glasco (Angel Duty) as Annie Reilly, a young runaway forced to grow up too quickly; Tessa Thompson (Heroes) as Sara Freeman, the fearful and anxious wife of Dr. Freeman; and David W. Keeley (Rookie Blue) as Sergeant Padraic Byrnes, a corrupt and contemptuous cop.

COPPER joins BBC AMERICA's slate of groundbreaking drama including Luther starring Golden Globe(R)-winner Idris Elba, the Golden Globe(R) nominated mini-series The Hour, Whitechapel and the upcoming Dramaville titles White Heat, Inside Men and Ripper Street.

COPPER is a Cineflix (Copper) Inc. production in association with BBC AMERICA and Shaw Media. The series is shooting in studio and on location in Toronto, Ontario through May 2012.

Caption: (left to right) Detective Francis Maguire (Kevin Ryan) and Detective Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones) in New York City's Five Points.

Credit: BBC America/Cineflix (Copper) Inc. Photographer: George Krachyk

BBC AMERICA delivers US audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy(R), five Golden Globes(R) and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 77 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.