Meet the time team behind bonekickers

A major new BBC drama series set in Bath has been given its localpremiere in the city.

Bonekickers, which began on BBC1 on Tuesday, was filmed onlocation in Bath and Bristol and follows a team of archaeologists onan action-packed series of adventures.

Billed as "Da Vinci Code meets CSI", the series was set locallyby its two creators because, they say, the city has 3,000 years ofhistory under its pavements.

Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah - who both live in the city andcreated the drama hits Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes attended aspecial screening of the first episode premiere at the LittleTheatre.

Among the other guests were local people involved in the makingof the series including staff from the University of Bath, thecouncil-run Bath Film Office and members of the cast.

The crew was largely based at the university campus at ClavertonDown but also used other locations in and around the city, includingLarkhall playing fields and the Assembly Rooms.

The writers got the idea from watching another South Westtelevision export - Time Team - and created a group of adrenaline-fuelled archaeologists living in a fast-paced, action-packedworld.

But a search for a location to set the new drama proved fruitlessuntil the duo looked closer to home: "It dawned on us that we wereliving in the perfect backdrop for Bonekickers," said Mr Pharoah.

"Using real locations in the series has made everyone involvedexcited. It gives you a sense that history is under your feet,which, we hope, will get people going off and exploring. It's greatto find out more about what's on your doorstep and to re-discoveryour history.

"The city and the surrounding countryside are steeped inthousands of years of history, from the Romans onwards, and lookstunning irrespective of the weather."

During the series, viewers will see a team of archaeologistsbased in a fictional department at the University of Bathinvestigate everything from the possible discovery of thecrucifixion cross to the excavation of murdered 18th-century slaves.

In writing the series, the pair hired Bristol's archaeology guruDr Mark Horton - the man credited with making archaeology "cool"with the likes of Time Team.

He recently started Britain's only university course whichcombines archaeology and television.

Mr Pharoah, who has previously written for EastEnders, Casualtyand Silent Witness, said: "Once we found some areas that interestedus, we rang Mark. He then advised us on where to take the story.

"I chose the slave trade as a subject because I was always awarethat Bath and Bristol were built on the proceeds of that prettydisgusting trade, and I'd often thought about how you'd deal withthat.

"How does an area or a city get to grips with its past? I loveBristol and was born and schooled there, so it was those questionsthat gripped me."

Matthew Graham, who first became friends with Mr Pharoah whenthey worked on EastEnders, said: "I have always loved medievaltimes. If I had my life again, I would go to Trinity in Dublin andread medieval history."

The series, which stars Hustle actor Adrian Lester as forensicexpert Dr Ben Ergha, and William And Mary actress Julie Graham asfeisty Celt Gillian Magwilde, is being shown on Tuesdays on BBC1 at9pm.

Next week's episode will see the team uncover bones thought to belong to 18th-century slaves in the Bristol Channel.