Kay Mellor drama The Syndicate to return to BBC One after five-year absence

An air date for the new series has not yet been announced, but it will consist of six hour-long episodes and will premiere on BBC One – after which it will make its way stateside via the US version of streaming platform BritBox.

The series will reportedly centre on the staff at Woodvale Kennels, which goes up for sale – putting jobs at risk – before a huge lottery win appears to solve their problems.

But this is The Syndicate, which means things are far from simple. The staff soon find out there are obstacles to overcome before they can claim the cash that’s rightfully theirs.

Speaking about the return of the show, Mellor said she was “thrilled” to be working with the BBC again.

“As ever, it’s a brand-new Syndicate and has a fresh and unique transatlantic story,” she revealed.

“I couldn’t resist setting this series in a dog kennels either. I have a Shih-tzu myself and love animals – they say you should never work with kids or animals but I’m a sucker for a challenge and can’t wait to get started.”

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, added, “We are so happy to have The Syndicate coming back for a fourth series on BBC One.

“Kay’s gripping, intriguing and heart-warming scripts will take viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions as a brand-new set of characters from a Leeds dog kennels win the lottery and set their sights on Vegas.”

Mellor recently won a Special Recognition prize at the 2020 Broadcast Awards to honour her career in British drama, which has now spanned four decades.