Idris Elba Teams With 12 YEARS A SLAVE Writer For Showtime Series GUERRILLA

With successful roles on The Wire and Luther, Idris Elba is no stranger to television. Neither is John Ridley, one of the writers of 12 Years a Slave who also created ABC's American Crime and is developing a mysterious show for Marvel. Now the two men are collaborating for a new six-episode limited series for Showtime called Guerrilla, which Ridley will write, direct, and executive produce and Elba will co-star and executive produce. Here's the synopsis:

Guerrilla is a love story set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in U.K. history. It tells the story of a politically active couple whose relationship and values are tested when they liberate a political prisoner and form a radical underground cell in 1970s London. Their ultimate target becomes the Black Power Desk, a true-life, secretive counter-intelligence unit within Special Branch dedicated to crushing all forms of black activism. Whilst the series is set against a background of social and political activism, at its heart Guerrilla is about a relationship under pressure, and the reality that for any couple there comes a point when the choices they make have real and lasting consequences.

Production starts in London late this summer, and I'm interested in who will be cast as Elba's on-screen partner in this series. Showtime hasn't exactly been a haven for brilliant TV shows over the past few years, but maybe this will convince people it might be time to get a subscription...at least for these six episodes.