Created by Stephen Butchard.
This City Is Ours premiered on March 23, 2025.
Distributed by Sony Pictures Television.
This City Is Ours TV Series Review
This City Is Ours is a British crime drama filled with family conflict, ambition, betrayal and the dangerous struggle for power in Liverpool’s criminal underworld.
Season 1 follows Michael Kavanagh as his loyalty to gang leader Ronnie Phelan is tested when retirement plans create a battle for control with Ronnie’s son, Jamie.
The season delivers gripping performances, tense confrontations and complicated relationships.
Season 2 explores the aftermath of Ronnie’s death as Michael faces new threats and shifting alliances.
With Shaun Evans and Álvaro Morte joining the story, the drama becomes more unpredictable. Overall, it is an engaging gangster series.
CR Rating: 8/10.
This City Is Ours Actors
James Nelson-Joyce as Michael Kavanagh
DOB: 1989.
English actor from Liverpool, known for his work in British television dramas and crime series.
He has built a reputation for intense, naturalistic performances, often portraying characters shaped by difficult circumstances and complicated loyalties.
Role: Michael Kavanagh is Ronnie Phelan’s trusted right-hand man and an experienced figure in Liverpool’s criminal underworld.
After years of loyalty to Ronnie, Michael becomes involved in a dangerous succession struggle when Ronnie considers the future of his criminal empire.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (16 eps).
Interesting facts: Nelson-Joyce is a Liverpool native, and This City Is Ours was filmed across Liverpool and the surrounding city region.
He won the Best Breakthrough Talent Award at the 2025 RTS North West Awards for his performance in the series.
Notable Works: A Thousand Blows, The Responder, Time, The Outlaws, The Gold, Industry.
Hannah Onslow as Diana Williams
DOB: April 1, 1998.
British actress whose television and film work includes contemporary drama, period productions and independent cinema.
She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and has appeared in productions such as This Is Going to Hurt, Belgravia: The Next Chapter and The Couple Next Door.
Role: Diana Williams is Michael Kavanagh’s partner and the woman who gives him a reason to imagine a future beyond organised crime.
Their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Michael’s involvement in the Phelan gang and the struggle for control put their safety and plans at risk.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (16 eps).
Interesting facts: Onslow trained at RADA and has worked across both period and contemporary productions.
Notable Works: This Is Going to Hurt, Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Empire of Light, The Second Time Around.
Jack McMullen as Jamie Phelan
DOB: February 22, 1991.
English actor and writer born in Liverpool, England.
He began his acting career as a child, playing Josh McLoughlin in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside.
McMullen later gained recognition as Tigger Johnson in Grange Hill and Finn Sharkey in Waterloo Road.
Role: Jamie Phelan is the son of crime boss Ronnie Phelan and a senior member of the family’s criminal organisation.
Impulsive and ambitious, Jamie believes he should inherit control of his father’s empire, putting him in direct conflict with Michael Kavanagh, Ronnie’s longtime right-hand man.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (16 eps).
Interesting facts: McMullen began acting at around 11 years old and became familiar to British television audiences through Brookside, Grange Hill and Waterloo Road.
Notable Works: Hijack, Time, Waterloo Road, Grange Hill, Brookside, Little Boy Blue, The Street.
Mike Noble as Banksey
DOB: N/A.
British actor whose television work includes historical dramas, crime series and contemporary productions.
He has appeared in Mr Selfridge, Home Fires, Grantchester, The Last Kingdom and Shardlake.
Role: Banksey is one of Michael Kavanagh’s associates in the Liverpool criminal underworld.
He is part of the group operating around the Phelan organisation and the power struggle that develops after Ronnie Phelan’s position is challenged.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (16 eps).
Interesting facts: Noble has appeared in several British period and crime dramas, including productions featuring large ensemble casts.
Notable Works: Shardlake, Grantchester, Mr Selfridge, Home Fires, The Capture.
Julie Graham as Elaine Phelan
DOB: July 24, 1965.
Scottish actress born in Glasgow.
She trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and has built a long-running career across British television, film and theatre.
Graham is known for playing strong, layered characters in crime dramas, comedies and family-centred stories.
Role: Elaine Phelan is Ronnie Phelan’s wife and a key member of the family at the heart of the series.
She is closely connected to the criminal empire Ronnie has built and is forced to deal with the consequences when Michael Kavanagh’s actions destabilise the organisation.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (16 eps).
Interesting facts: Graham has worked extensively in British television and has played leading roles in both drama and comedy.
Notable Works: Shetland, The Bletchley Circle, Benidorm, Survivors, At Home with the Braithwaites, The Hardacres.
Laura Aikman as Rachel Duffy
DOB: December 24, 1985.
English actress and producer who began her screen career as a child.
She has appeared in a wide range of British television productions, including Casualty, The Mysti Show, 4 O’Clock Club, The Job Lot and Waterloo Road.
Role: Rachel Duffy is Ronnie and Elaine Phelan’s niece and works as an accountant for the family’s criminal organisation.
Although initially kept away from major decisions, Rachel is intelligent, ambitious and determined to gain greater influence in the business.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (14 eps).
Interesting facts: Aikman is the daughter of actor and writer Stuart St Paul and the younger sister of actor Luke Aikman.
Notable Works: Casualty, The Job Lot, Waterloo Road, Archie, Joan, Gavin & Stacey, The Rising.
Sean Bean as Ronnie Phelan
DOB: April 17, 1959.
Sean Bean is an English actor known for playing authoritative, complex and often morally conflicted characters.
He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and built a career spanning theatre, television and major international productions.
Role: Ronnie Phelan is the established leader of a Liverpool criminal gang and the central patriarch of the Phelan family.
He has built his position through years of criminal activity and a close working relationship with Michael Kavanagh.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Bean won the 2022 BAFTA Television Award for Leading Actor for his performance as Mark Cobden in Time.
Notable Works: Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Time, Broken, Sharpe, GoldenEye.
Darci Shaw as Melissa Sullivan
DOB: April 17, 2002.
English actress from Liverpool who began developing her acting skills at a young age.
She attended The Belvedere Academy and took acting classes at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts from the age of five.
Role: Melissa Sullivan is Jamie Phelan’s fiancée and the mother of their baby boy, Alfie.
Following the traumatic events of the first season, Melissa begins questioning whether she can continue building a family with someone so deeply involved in organised crime.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (15 eps).
Interesting facts: Shaw began attending acting classes at LIPA when she was five and joined the Everyman and Playhouse Youth Theatre at 14.
Notable Works: The Bay, The Irregulars, Brassic, Judy, The Colour Room, Midas Man, A Thousand Blows.
Bobby Schofield as Bonehead
DOB: April 2, 1993.
English actor from Kirkby, near Liverpool.
He is the son of actor Andrew Schofield and grew up in a family with strong connections to acting and music.
Schofield attended All Saints Catholic High School before studying performing arts and musical theatre at the City of Liverpool College.
Role: Peter “Bonehead” Murphy is Jamie Phelan’s right-hand man and enforcer within the Phelan criminal organisation.
He is a loyal member of Jamie’s circle and becomes involved in the family’s increasingly dangerous struggle for control.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (8 eps).
Interesting facts: Schofield is the son of actor Andrew Schofield, known for his work in Blood Brothers and Sid and Nancy.
Notable Works: The Covenant, SAS: Rogue Heroes, The Walk-In, The Suspect, Time, Anne, Knightfall, Black Sea.
Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Cheryl Crawford
DOB: November 24, 1993.
Northern Irish actress who rose to international recognition for playing Erin Quinn in the Channel 4 comedy series Derry Girls.
Born and raised in Derry, she attended Thornhill College before studying at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester.
Role: Cheryl Crawford is a member of the Crawford family and is connected to the wider network of relationships surrounding Liverpool’s criminal underworld.
Her storyline brings another family perspective to the tensions and consequences created by the gang’s activities.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (14 eps).
Interesting facts: Jackson grew up in Derry, Northern Ireland, and became internationally recognised through Derry Girls, a comedy set in the city during the 1990s.
Notable Works: Derry Girls, The Decameron, Finding You, The Five, Broken.
Kevin Harvey as Bobby Duffy
DOB: N/A.
Kevin Harvey is a British actor from Liverpool with an extensive career in television.
He has appeared in a range of crime dramas and character-driven productions, often playing characters on both sides of the law.
Role: Bobby Duffy is Rachel Duffy’s husband and a trusted member of the Phelan family’s criminal organisation.
Following Ronnie Phelan’s death, Bobby is appointed joint leader of the gang alongside Banksey.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-2 (16 eps).
Interesting facts: Harvey is a Liverpool-born actor who has spoken about the demanding experience of filming This City Is Ours.
Notable Works: Prey, Time, The Inheritance, The Gathering, Treason, Death in Paradise, Vera.
Shaun Evans as Ozzie Thompson
DOB: March 6, 1980.
English actor and director best known for portraying the young Inspector Morse in the ITV detective series Endeavour.
Born in Liverpool, he attended St Edward’s College before studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
Role: Ozzie Thompson is a former gangster from Ronnie Phelan’s generation who returns to Liverpool after serving a lengthy prison sentence for crimes committed on behalf of the Phelan organisation.
Believing he sacrificed years of his life for the firm, he demands compensation from the people who benefited from his loyalty.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (8 eps).
Interesting facts: Evans directed episodes of the series, including installments from its later seasons.
Notable Works: Endeavour, The Take, The Scandalous Lady W, Until I Kill You, Betrayal, Vigil, Teachers, Being Julia.
More Actors
• Daniel Cerqueira as Ricardo Guzman.
• Nicholas Bishop as Frederico.
• Leanne Best as Lesley Williams.
• Yolanda Vazquez as Stefania.
• Stephen Walters as Davy Crawford.
• Shaun Fagan as Barney.
• John May as Heavy Paul.
• Adam Abbou as Freddie.
• Shane Walker as Billy.
• Katherine Rose Morley as Nancy Sullivan.
FAQ – This City Is Ours TV Series
What is This City Is Ours about?
This City Is Ours is a British crime drama about Michael Kavanagh, a trusted member of a Liverpool criminal organisation whose ambition to build a new life clashes with gang loyalty, family conflict and the struggle for power.
What genre is This City Is Ours?
It is a British crime drama featuring gangster conflicts, family relationships, betrayal, ambition and suspense.
Is This City Is Ours renewed for Season 3?
Yes. The BBC confirmed a third season ahead of the Season 2 premiere. Filming is planned primarily in Liverpool in 2027.
How many seasons does This City Is Ours have?
The series has two seasons, with a third season officially commissioned by the BBC.
Where can you watch This City Is Ours?
The series is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK and also airs on BBC One.
Conclusion
This City Is Ours is a compelling British crime drama with strong performances, intense family conflicts and unpredictable power struggles.
It is worth watching for fans of gritty gangster stories and suspenseful television.