TV | BBC unveils first look at Leonard And Hungry Paul comedy drama set to air this Autumn

Jamie-Lee O'Donnell as Shelley and Alex Lawther as Leonard

The BBC has released first look images and casting details for its upcoming comedy drama Leonard And Hungry Paul, which will air this Autumn on BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Produced by Subotica, the new four-part series is adapted from the award-winning, best-selling novel of the same name by Rónán Hession. Writers Richie Conroy and Mark Hodkinson have reimagined the book for television, bringing its offbeat charm and gentle humour to screen audiences.

The series follows the lives of two close friends in their thirties who find comfort in the quiet rhythms of suburban life.

Alex Lawther as Leonard and Laurie Kynaston as Hungry Paul.

Leonard, a ghost writer of children’s encyclopaedias, and Hungry Paul, a part-time postal worker who still lives at home, spend their days playing board games and avoiding the chaos of the modern world. But when Leonard’s mother dies, Hungry Paul’s sister plans her wedding, and Leonard embarks on a tentative new romance, both men must step into a world of change, challenge and unexpected possibilities.

Alex Lawther, best known for The End Of The F*ing World and Alien: Earth, takes on the role of Leonard, while Laurie Kynaston (Fool Me Once, Sandman) stars as Hungry Paul. They are joined by Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (Derry Girls, Screw) as Shelley.

The ensemble cast also features Helen Behan (The Virtues), Lorcan Cranitch (Bloodlands), Niamh Branigan (Harry Wild), Paul Reid (Sherlock & Daughter), Charlotte McCurry (Say Nothing) and David O’Reilly (Doctors).

Jamie-Lee O'Donnell as Shelley

Leonard And Hungry Paul is produced by Subotica for BBC Northern Ireland, in association with BBC Comedy, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and RTÉ, with Avalon co-producing and handling international distribution. The series was commissioned by Eddie Doyle, Senior Head of Commissioning, BBC Northern Ireland.

The executive production team includes Tristan Orpen Lynch and Aoife O’Sullivan for Subotica, Natalie McAuley for the BBC, Marc Lorber (The Art of Coproduction), Adam Barth for Avalon, Kate McColgan for Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, alongside Wally Hall, David Harari, Morwin Schmookler and Ross Boucher. Mary McKeagney and Emma Lawson serve as commissioning editors for the BBC. The series is directed by Andrew Chaplin.

The BBC says the show will be a warm, feel-good comedy drama that celebrates friendship, kindness and the value of living life at a gentler pace.