New Channel 4 drama Ackley Bridge, which is due to start in June, is undergoing a last minute edit following the Manchester terror attack.
The opening episode of the prime-time show starring Jo Joyner, Paul Nicholls, Arsher Ali, and Sunetra Sarker was set to feature a bombing hoax scene that has been deemed inappropriate following the events of Monday night.
At least 22 people died and a further 59 suffered life-threatening injuries after a bomb was set off at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena.
Although Ackley Bridge is a fictional drama, the original plot saw a schoolchild carry out a bombing hoax.
Speaking to Mirror Online, a Channel 4 spokesperson confirmed: “In light of the tragic events in Manchester, the first episode of forthcoming drama series Ackley Bridge is being re-edited.
“A new episode one will be available to view within the next few days.”
The drama is set in the fictional town of Ackley Bridge and is based in a school where two comprehensives have been merged, putting white and Asian students from the town together for the first time.
The lives and cultures of all the students are set to collide and lessons will be learnt both in and out of the classroom.
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Jo Joyner plays head teacher Mandy Carter and she recently opened up about why she took the role.
“The integration theme, joining the community together and the opportunity to have such a diverse cast was definitely a pull to the show.
“For me in particular I liked the idea of a show that was set in a school where we follow not just the kids but the teachers just as much and show them as real, fallible people.”
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Jo was reunited with some former cast mates on the show, having starred alongside on-screen husband Paul in Candy Cabs, and Sunetra in No Angels.
The opening scene of the first episode was said to show someone contacting the school with a bomb threat.
As the school secretary runs into assembly causing widespread panic, the boy in question leaps onto his chair and pulls open his jacket to reveal the supposed ‘bomb’.
It turns out it’s actually just party poppers, but in light of what happened on Monday, it was considered unacceptable to let the scenes air.