Driver, Nesbitt for BBC's 'The Deep'

Minnie Driver and James Nesbitt have been cast in BBC One's The Deep, it is announced.

The five-part thriller, which is written by Simon Donald, follows the crew of an oceanographic submarine as they search the final frontiers of Earth for unknown and remarkable life forms.

Set thousands of feet below the Arctic ice, the drama unfolds when the crew find themselves stranded with no power, limited oxygen and no communication with the surface.

Controller of BBC drama commissioning Ben Stephenson commented: "Simon Donald's brilliantly imagined serial The Deep demonstrates my commitment to bringing the best work by the best writers to BBC One and the international talent signed up are further testament to the quality of the scripts."