Everything you need to know about the new Liverpool comedy drama G’wed

The series firmly uses Liverpool’s distinctive voice to delve into working class culture and offer up an uplifting, heart-warming and hilarious portrayal of teenagers today and how they view the world.

Set in Liverpool and filmed entirely on location, G’wed will feature an exciting cast of fresh, young local talent alongside established actors.

Written by Liverpudlian Danny Kenny and produced by Golden Path Productions Ltd, the six-part series is an Honest, uplifting and heart-warming portrayal of the lives of working-class teenagers from Liverpool.

What’s it about?

At the start of the series Reece, the anti-hero, is superficially a misbehaving, potty mouthed scally, but he constantly surprises whether that be quoting Mother Teresa and John Steinbeck or for his incredibly mature take on grief.

On his last warning with the Headteacher, he’s given a life line in the guise of 16 year old middle class Southerner Christopher, who joins the school unexpectedly and Reece offers to ‘take care’ of the new boy.

Who’s in it?

Starring Leanne Best, Louis Emerick, Sunetra Sarker and a host of brand new talent.

Dylan Thomas-Smith takes on the role of Reece, he said:

“Reece is a cheeky little character, he’s funny and likeable. Part of the reason I loved this job so much is because Reece did remind me of myself when I was in school, just a cheeky little chappy who would flirt with the girls. I’m not like that anymore of course! But I was when I was younger, so I related to him and I loved the relationship with his mum. I liked the idea of a show set in a school, then I just fell in love with the script when I read it, it felt like a boss show.”

He added:

“It was boss working with Leanne, she made me feel like she was my real mum! Every morning when she arrived on set she would always come in and see me, give me a big hug and see how I was doing. She was just a really lovely person to work with, and her acting is unreal.”

Leanne Best who plays Jodie said:

“I was really excited to do a comedy set in Liverpool, from a writer who’s from there and a young cast. As we know there’s some fantastic drama that comes out of Liverpool, but quite often it deals with the darker side of things in life. I was really excited to be a part of something that just celebrates Liverpool’s humour and tenacity and joy, and I was really enamoured with the idea of working with a predominantly young cast.”

She added:

“Jo’s relationship with Reece is robust and loving. She’s absolutely devoted to him but she is forthright to say the least. I think the beautiful thing about the two of them is, because it’s only ever been the two of them, there’s no sensitivity there. She is absolutely every inch the Mother Bear, but she’s certainly not afraid to give him a clip round the ear! I think she is open to learning from him, sometimes, even though she might not know it. It’s a very beautiful and real thing, she’s definitely a matriarch in that sense.

“I absolutely loved working with Dylan, I had met him very early on in the process of putting the cast together and I just thought that he was a little star. He’s so open and expressive and everything he does is full of heart and authenticity. I’m sure at some point down the line I’ll be telling everyone I played his mum in his first job! It was easy to fall in love with him, as I’m sure the audiences will too.”

Why should you watch?

G’wed is an authentic portrayal of teenagers today and how they view the world. Set in Liverpool and evocative of life for young working-class kids there, it delves into the Scouse culture of ‘surviving with a sense of humour’.

Tackling big issues like grief, sex, diversity and class differences, treating them with a refreshing comedic perspective.

Where was it filmed?

The brand-new comedy is set in Liverpool and was filmed in and around the city!

As well as locations in Wirral such as Birkenhead Park, Beechwood Estate, Claughton, and Wallasey. 

Leanne Best said:

“I always love working in Liverpool, to go home and have tea at my mum’s after work! I particularly loved doing this. There’s something about seeing a more joyful aspect of Liverpool represented in a young Liverpudlian cast that made me feel so optimistic and happy every single day going into work, it was really good fun. And of course, the only people more entertaining than actors in Liverpool, are the people watching you do the scenes in Liverpool!”

Sunetra Sarker, who plays Amal, said:

“Absolutely, I haven’t filmed there for a long time but it was great, especially because a lot of the crew were my ex-Brookside friends and some of the cast too – Louis Emerick, who is playing the head teacher, is a really good friend from way back. Faye, the make-up artist, did my make-up on Brookside, and here we were 30 years later, back in the same chairs catching up on news, it was great.

“You do slip back into a homegrown version of yourself when you’re working in your home city, because it’s such a safe space. Plus, my mum, dad and sister were down the road as well, so I got to work and see the family too.

“I’m so glad there are more shows being set in Liverpool, especially because sometimes it feels that anywhere northern is put into one group. Whether it’s Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool or Newcastle, it’s all just ‘The North’. So it’s nice to actually have a show that’s site specific in Liverpool.”

G’wed will be available on ITVX on 5 February 2024. For the latest news in Liverpool click here.