Stephen Fry Is Holding The Baby In Series Two Of Kingdom

Stephen Fry is left holding the baby as he starts filming the new series of ITV1’s ratings winning drama Kingdom. Stephen (Tom Brown’s Schooldays, Absolute Power, Wilde) plays affable country solicitor Peter Kingdom, whose compassion and humility has won him huge respect in the small Norfolk town of Market Shipborough.

At the end of the first series, screened earlier this year, Stephen’s character was told he was to be an uncle by a woman who arrived out of the blue.

Peter finds himself having to learn all about feeding times and changing nappies when baby Daniel, the son of Peter’s missing brother Simon, moves in.

But there’s an even bigger shock in store than the arrival of baby Daniel for Peter and his troublesome sister Beatrice, played by Hermione Norris (Spooks, Wire in the Blood, Cold Feet).

Karl Davies (Dead Clever, Dolphins, Emmerdale) returns as sharp trainee solicitor, Lyle Anderson, who goes beyond the call of duty, and strips off to solve the problems of a bunch of nudists.

Celia Imrie (The Last Detective, Commander, Calendar Girls) stars as Gloria Millington, the faithful receptionist and Peter’s confidant. Phyllida Law (Pinochet in Suburbia, The Waiting Room, Monarch of the Glen) plays Peter’s dotty Aunt Auriel, and Tony Slattery (Confessions of a Diary Secretary, Ahead of the Class) plays cantankerous villager Sidney Snell.

The first series proved a hit with viewers, winning an average audience of 6.6 million.

Stephen Fry says: “We were all so delighted by the wonderfully positive reception to Kingdom, and we couldn’t be more pleased to spend another summer under Norfolk skies.”

Laura Mackie, ITV’s Director of Drama, says: “Kingdom really struck a chord with viewers, and was one of our best performing dramas of 2007. We are thrilled that Stephen Fry and the rest of the cast are back with us for a new series.”

The series, created by Simon Wheeler, and written by Alan Whiting (Wire in the Blood, Down to Earth, The Scarlet Pimpernel) and Jeff Povey (EastEnders, Blue Murder, Wire in the Blood) is filmed on location in Norfolk.