Sean Bean and Nicola Walker appear as long-married couple in first-look pics for 'Marriage'

Sean Bean and Nicola Walker are set to star as a couple with decades of shared history in new emotional drama Marriage, which has released first-look images today.

The production photos give a sneak peek at the four-part series, due to air on BBC One later this year, and stars Bean and Walker's roles in it.

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Shots from the series show them hugging in their kitchen, shopping at a supermarket together and unloading a guitar and suitcase from a car.

They will play husband and wife Ian and Emma, whose 30-year marriage is featured in the drama as they negotiate the ups and downs of their relationship.

Information from the BBC on the series, which has been written and directed by Stefan Golaszewski, says: "We see them dealing with the insecurities, the ambiguities, the hopes and the fears that are part of all marriages, as the drama explores the risks and the gifts of a long-term intimate relationship.

"Sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always revealing."

Bean is known for his roles in Game of Thrones, Snowpiercer, Sharpe, and recent prison-set gritty drama Time where he starred alongside Stephen Graham.

Walker has starred in Last Tango in Halifax, The Split, Unforgotten and Spooks, with her first role as part of a terrible folk duo in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Her Unforgotten character DCI Cassie Stuart was killed off the show last year in a shocking car crash for the season four finale and co-star Sanjeev Bhaskar said it was tough to return to set without her to continue season five.

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Bhaskar told RadioTimes.com: "When I first heard, I had a very similar reaction to when I then read it in the script, and then a similar reaction again when we filmed it, which is I felt slightly sick. It was a shock.

"But also, Nicola became, and is, a really good friend... so it will be very strange not to have Nicola there."

Other casting announced for Marriage includes James Bolam (New Tricks, The Likely Lads) as Emma's father Gerry, Henry Lloyd-Hughes (The Inbetweeners, Ragdoll) as Emma's boss Jamie, and Chantelle Alle (We Are Lady Parts, Mood) as Jessica, Ian and Emma’s daughter.

Marriage has completed filming and will air on BBC One later this year.

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