Matthew Macfadyen and Claire Foy Lead BBC's New Romance Drama You Are Here

The BBC has announced that Matthew Macfadyen and Claire Foy will headline You Are Here, an eight-part adaptation of David Nicholls' 2024 novel that explores romantic connection against the backdrop of a cross-country British hiking trail. Lenny Abrahamson, the director behind Normal People and Room, will oversee the production, while Nicholls himself has written the screenplay.

Cast and Story

Macfadyen, known for his role in Succession, and Foy, recognised for her performances in The Crown and All of Us Strangers, will portray Michael and Marnie—two divorced individuals who unexpectedly embark on an epic 190-mile walk. The characters join a group of friends on the Coast to Coast trail, which stretches from the Lake District in northwest England to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire. As they navigate unpredictable weather and unexpected route changes across the English countryside, the pair gradually develop romantic feelings neither anticipated.

The reunion represents a notable callback for both performers, who previously collaborated on the 2008 BBC adaptation of Little Dorrit. The chemistry between the two actors drew particular praise from Nicholls himself, who described them as "dream casting" and highlighted their abilities in both comedic and dramatic material.

Production and Creative Team

Element Pictures, the production company behind acclaimed series including Normal People and Poor Things, will produce the adaptation in partnership with the BBC and Starz. Filming is scheduled to take place across the Lake District and surrounding Manchester areas. Abrahamson's involvement marks another collaboration with Nicholls, whose previous adaptations have maintained strong creative control—the author wrote screenplays for the 2006 film Starter for Ten, the 2011 film adaptation of One Day, and multiple episodes of the 2024 Netflix series based on the same novel.

Nicholls has noted that the novel posed particular challenges for adaptation due to its thematic focus on unexpressed emotions and the difficulty of articulating genuine feelings. He framed the central narrative as an intimate character study that, despite extensive dialogue, required skilled performers to convey internal emotional worlds against the expansive landscape of the British countryside.

A release date for You Are Here has not yet been disclosed, with production preparations underway ahead of filming commencement.