Pratik Handore
BBC Studios’ critically acclaimed half-hour teen drama series ‘Phoenix Rise’ is gearing up for production on its third installment despite having debuted recently, in 2023. Created by Perrie Balthazar (‘Bad Sisters‘) and Matt Evans (‘A Discovery of Witches‘), the series revolves around the lives of a diverse group of teenagers and their struggles in the West Midlands education system. In April 2023, BBC Studios renewed the series for a third and fourth installment. The cast and crew are expected to commence principal photography for season 3 in Coventry in August 2023.
The series first premiered in March 2023, with a ten-episode freshman season. A second season is set to premiere later in 2023. It is available on BBC iPlayer, with episodes also airing on BBC Three. After the success of the inaugural season, BBC renewed the series for two more seasons, with the third starting production in August, while a release date for the second batch of episodes is yet to be announced. The series is primarily set in the town of Coventry, in West Midlands county, where production was based for the first two seasons. Therefore, it is no surprise that the West Midlands-set series will return to Coventry for filming the third season.
‘Phoenix Rise’ was conceived by Perrie Balthazar and Matt Evans. The duo are from the Midlands and wanted to explore the cracks in the region’s education system and the children who had fallen out of it. “We always said we wanted to focus on kids who had fallen through the cracks in the system, who were given one last chance to make a success of their time at school. That’s why we called it Phoenix Rise because it’s six kids who are given one final chance to rise from the ashes to succeed at school,” Evans said about the show in a press statement.
The series features an ensemble cast including young talents such as Lauren Corah (Summer Bailey), Alex Draper (Billy Hopkins), Jayden Hanley (Darcy Trent), Krish Bassi (Khaled), Tara Webb (Rani), and Imogen Baker (Leila), who play the six outsiders in the town who are struggling to get through school but find friendship and camaraderie in each other’s presence. The series explores the challenges the group faces as they attempt to overcome the challenges of difficult family backgrounds and present circumstances.
The main cast is joined by Orla McDonagh (Rhianna Hopkins), Tyler Fayose (Jamie Stewart), Joshua Cullinane (Nathan Keyes), and Emmanuella Martins (Bee). Jessal Kullar-Bell (Cassidy), Jack Connor as Sam, Zita Sattar (Miss Able), Paul Nicholls (Carl Hopkins), and Lauren Crace (Miss Benson) also appear in supporting roles. Most of the cast from the first two seasons is expected to return for the third installment. Additionally, the fourth season will likely commence production shortly after season 3 wraps filming. Joanna Hanley serves as a producer on ‘Phoenix Rise’ with Ali Bryer Carron assuming the executive producer role alongside Evans and Balthazar.
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