The BBC's newest Sunday night sensation, Nightsleeper, is bound to get pulses racing, yet for its stars, it was a series of stomach-churning scenarios off-screen that stole the show.
Starring Joe Cole from Peaky Blinders as the valiant cop Joe Roag, the thrilling six-part drama sees him in a desperate race against time to save a London-bound train that has been commandeered by hijackers from Glasgow.
Collaborating closely with Joe is Abby Aysgarth, the fictional acting technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre, jointly navigating tense moments to ensure the safety of those aboard.
To create the illusion of a speeding train, the cast filmed within non-moving carriages which boasted screens masquerading as windows, showcasing dynamic landscapes. This ingenious setup unfortunately resulted in a bout of motion sickness for some of the actors.
In a candid interview with The Sun, Joe discussed the unusual filming conditions: "We were cooped up in these small carriages for 10, 12 hours a day and they had pre-recorded the entirety of the train journey exteriors from Aberdeen to London on LED screens, which were outside the train."
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He added, "You feel like you're on a train, people were getting motion sickness if they looked out of the window for too long. The lighting in the windows saves a lot of time in the edit and just looks more realistic. You couldn't escape this chaos. But it was part of the fun."
As tension mounts, the narrative hurdles forward when cyber terrorists take over the train's electronic systems, propelling it towards the heart of London, reports the Mirror.
The upcoming drama, set to premiere on Sunday, September 15 with the likes of David Threllfall joining the cast, promises a thrilling blend of high-octane action and classic whodunit as Joe struggles to stop the train whilst figuring out if the threat lies among the fellow passengers.
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He jokingly said: "I had a stag do in Glasgow not long after the shoot and a lot of the lads got the Nightsleeper up there. I was like, guys, do not get on that thing."
Boasting an impressive line-up, Nightsleeper features well-known faces such as Alex Ferns, Sharon Small, James Cosmo, David Threlfall, Daniel Cahill, Lois Chimimba, Gabriel Howel, Katie Leung, Leah MacRae, Ruth Madeley, Adam Mitchell, Pamela Nomvete, Scott Reid, Sharon Rooney, and Parth Thakerar.
Teaming up with him is the savvy Abby Aysgarth from the security services, played by the talented Alexandra Roach, who remains in contact with Joe through phone calls.
Despite the challenges faced while filming Nightsleeper, Joe admits he's still a fan of rail excursions although he can't help but rib his mates about their travel choices.
The first episode of Nightsleeper is on BBC One on Sunday, September 15 at 9am. All six episodes will be on iPlayer that day from 6am
