Writer/director Stephen Poliakoff”s major new TV drama begins principal photography this week, with a 16-week shoot underway in London.

Summer of Rockets is a 6 x 60 series for BBC Two and comes from Little Island Productions – the auteur worked with the company previously on the BBC”s Close to the Enemy in 2015.

The semi-autobiographical project is set in the UK during the tumultuous year of 1957.

It was a time when Britain was testing its first hydrogen bomb, and the Soviets were launching their first ballistic missile as well as successfully sending a satellite into space.

Helen Flint and Lucy Richer executive produce for Little Island and the BBC respectively.

Production Intelligence subscribers can log in for more details on Summer of Rockets, including the casting director, production designer and production manager.

It is one of several major projects currently filming in the capital – others include The Rook, Hanna and Dark Heart.

Photo via Getty Images Ent/Tristan Fewings.