Lennie James on playing the lead in a six-part BBC adaptation of author Bernadine Evaristo's novel Mr Loverman.

Wonderfully complex' show tells the story of a gay septuagenarian as he contemplates leaving his wife for his lifelong best friend

Lennie James has stressed the importance of including intimate sex scenes in his poignant new BBC drama, Mr Loverman.

The rest of the Walker clan are played by Tamara Lawrance (Get Millie Black, Time series two) and Sharlene Whyte (Small Axe, Stephen) as Barrington and Carmel’s daughters, Maxine and Donna. Tahj Miles (Death in Paradise, Small Axe), is Daniel, Donna’s son and Carmel and Barrington’s grandson.

Bernardine Evaristo's novel Mr Loverman has been given the TV treatment for the BBC, with Lennie James playing the eponymous lothario, Barrington Jedidiah Walker.

It’d hard to think of a better casting choice than the great Lennie James in Mr Loverman (BBC1, Monday, October 14; all 8 episodes on BBC iPlayer), based on Booker Prize winner Bernadine Evaristo’s 2013 novel.