Sky Hands Police Comedy ‘Code 404’ Starring Daniel Mays & Stephen Graham Full Series

Sky handed police comedy Code 404, starring Rogue One’s Daniel Mays and Boardwalk Empire’s Stephen Graham, a full series after a successful pilot.

Deadline first revealed the project was in development at the pay-TV broadcaster in October and it has now been ordered for six half-hour episodes.

The series, which is produced by Broadchurch and Tin Star indie Kudos and Water and Power Productions, also stars Against The Law’s Richard Gadd. It was written by Horrible Histories and Not Going Out writer Daniel Peak and directed by Al Campbell. The pilot was directed by Ben Palmer.

Code 404 is set in the near future and will revolve around two Detective Inspectors, DI John Major (Daniel Mays) and DI Roy Carver (Stephen Graham), who are the top crime fighting duo in the Unit. But when an undercover sting goes horribly wrong, Major is gunned down on the job and killed. How will the SIU function without Major? It doesn’t have to. As an ‘asset’ considered too valuable to lose, Major’s body is fast-tracked into an experimental Artificial Intelligence project to bring him back from the dead. The only problem is, Major 2.0 may look like and sound like the original, but something has been lost in translation – quite a lot actually. His arrogant demeanor and gung-ho approach remain but his crimefighting instincts have completely deserted him.

Phil Temple and Diederick Santer exec produce for Kudos and Sam Myer and Tom Miller exec produces for Water and Power, with Morwenna Gordon from Sky. It is distributed by Sky Vision. The series was commissioned by Jon Mountague, Sky’s Head of Comedy and Zai Bennett, Director of Programming for Sky Entertainment UK & Ireland.

It is an interesting role for Mays, who is best known in the UK, for starring in British cop drama Line of Duty, where he plays armed response officer Sergeant Danny Waldron.

It is one of Kudos’ first comedies in some time; the Diederick Santer-run company, which is owned by Endemol shine. The producer is best known for high-end drama series such as Apple Tree Yard, Humans and The Tunnel, but has dabbled in comedy with shows such as Olivia Colman-fronted Flowers.

Water and Power Productions, meanwhile, is a fledgling firm founded by Horrible Histories producer Tom Miller, who previously worked at Miramax and Scott Free, banking exec Sam Myer and media financier James Swarbrick, who worked on projects including Wolf Hall and The King’s Speech.

Sky’s Mountague said: “What a coup, Stephen Graham and Daniel Mays are the dream team – the perfect Carver and Major. Danny Peak’s scripts are endlessly hilarious and very, very arresting. Can’t wait.”

Water & Power’s Tom Miller said, “Danny and Stephen are an electric double-act, and with Daniel Peak’s brilliant scripts we can’t wait to bring this to life for Sky One.”

Kudos’ Temple added, “We couldn’t be more delighted to have such outstanding actors bringing heart and passion to these joyful scripts – this really is going to be great.”

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