Julie Graham is to star in a new six-part drama for BBC One as the leader of a team of archaeologists in what sounds like it will be a kind of hyper-extended version of cold case dramas such as Waking the Dead and Silent Witness. The diggers will be peering back to the 18th century and beyond to unravel the mysteries of murdered slaves and unlock the meanings behind all manner of artefacts they uncover along the way.

As well as a strong supporting cast, what lifts this new drama even further out of the ordinary is the fact that it is penned by the writing team behind Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes: Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharaoh.

Also starring Adrian Lester (on loan from Hustle) as forensic expert Dr Ben Akomfrah, Hugh Bonneville as the knowledgeable bad boy Professor Gregory Parton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (last seen as Tish Jones in Doctor Who) as the ubiquitous trainee digger – young, keen, but terminally inexperienced – Viv Davis, the team combine their skills to solve the puzzles from each window on history which they open.

But the greater mystery is the one that binds all six parts of this new drama together. The one that is too embarrassing for Gillian (Graham) to admit to the other members of her team. The hunt for “the greatest treasure in the history of Man.” It drove her mother insane, and as the series reaches its climax, it threatens to do the same to her.

Bonekickers is filming now and will air in Spring 2008 on BBC One.