Counsels (TV series)

Reader's Guide

The series features a cast led by Brandon Grace, Ro Kumar, Eilidh Park, George Prentice, Alyth Ross, and Rebecca Bell as the young lawyers. Established Scottish performers such as Daniela Nardini, Michelle Gomez, Derek Riddell, and Stuart Bowman also appear. In October 2025, Mhairi Black joined the cast in her first acting role. Filming took place in Glasgow in August 2025. The series is notable for its focus on a group of young legal professionals navigating their careers in Glasgow, and for including Mhairi Black, a former politician, in her debut acting performance.

Did You Know?

• The series was commissioned in March 2025.
• The series is written by Bryan Elsley and Gillian McCormack.

The Premise: Five Lawyers, One City

Counsels is an upcoming British legal drama that plants its story firmly in Scotland, specifically in Glasgow. The series is designed for BBC One and BBC Scotland, and it will unfold across eight episodes. At its heart, the show tracks the professional lives of five young lawyers who share a common origin: they all trained together before branching out to practise independently across the city. Rather than following a single protagonist or a single firm, the narrative weaves together the individual trajectories of these five characters as they navigate the legal profession in Glasgow. The premise suggests a story rooted in the day-to-day realities of young legal practitioners, exploring how shared training backgrounds shape their professional relationships and approaches to the law. By setting the drama in a specific Scottish city rather than a generic urban backdrop, Counsels grounds its legal storytelling in a distinct cultural and geographic context, offering viewers a portrait of the Scottish legal world through the eyes of its newest generation of advocates.

The Writing Room and Creative Leadership

The creative engine behind Counsels is anchored by a strong Scottish writing partnership. Bryan Elsley and Gillian McCormack serve as the primary writers of the eight-part series, and both also hold executive producer credits, giving them a dual role in shaping the show's voice and its production. They are joined in the writing room by co-writers Maryam Hamidi and Jingan Young, expanding the collaborative layer behind the scripts. The executive producer team is further rounded out by Gaynor Holmes, Gavin Smith, and Daniel Donnelly, suggesting a broad slate of creative and managerial oversight. Production is handled by Balloon Scotland, a company that brings dedicated Scottish production infrastructure to the project. The series was officially commissioned in March 2025, marking the formal green-light for what would become a full eight-episode run. The depth of the writing team—four credited writers alongside five executive producers—signals a production that prioritises layered storytelling and careful development of its ensemble of young legal professionals.

An Ensemble Cast Spanning Generations

The cast of Counsels is built around a core group of six young actors who portray the five young lawyers at the centre of the story: Brandon Grace, Ro Kumar, Eilidh Park, George Prentice, Alyth Ross, and Rebecca Bell. Surrounding this youthful ensemble is a roster of well-established Scottish performers who lend gravitas and recognition to the supporting roles. Daniela Nardini, Michelle Gomez, Derek Riddell, and Stuart Bowman are specifically highlighted as bringing seasoned Scottish screen and stage experience to the production. The wider cast also includes Laura Haddock, Michael Nardone, Sally Howitt, Neshla Caplan, and Stephen Purdon, creating a rich tapestry of talent across the eight episodes. One of the most notable casting announcements came in October 2025, when Mhairi Black joined the project in what is described as her first acting role, marking a significant crossover from her political career into the world of television performance.

From Commission to Camera: The Production Timeline

Counsels moved from concept to screen with a remarkably compressed production schedule. The series received its official commission in March 2025, and just five months later, in August 2025, filming was underway on location in Glasgow. The choice to shoot in the city where the story is set reinforces the show's commitment to an authentic Scottish backdrop, with Glasgow's streets and landmarks serving as a living character in the narrative. The production is carried by Balloon Scotland, ensuring the project benefits from local production expertise and infrastructure. The series is slated for broadcast on BBC One, with BBC Scotland also listed as a broadcaster, reflecting the dual national and regional significance of the programme. As an upcoming title, Counsels had not yet aired at the time of its announcement, meaning audiences were still awaiting their first glimpse of the finished product. The eight-episode format gives the writers and producers a substantial canvas to develop the intertwined stories of the five young lawyers, their mentors, and the broader legal community of Glasgow.

Gallery