‘Masterpiece’ Prepping ‘Breathless’ Medical Drama

NEW YORK (AP) — "Masterpiece" is prescribing a new drama set in a London hospital in the early 1960s.

The series, "Breathless," will put medical practice at the brink of the tumultuous '60s. Set in a busy gynecology unit, it inhabits a world where abortion is illegal and the new contraceptive pill is only available to married women.

Premiering on "Masterpiece" in 2014, "Breathless" was announced Thursday by co-producers PBS/WGBH and ITV Studios.

The series will star Jack Davenport, most recently seen on the NBC series "Smash." Other cast members include Zoe Boyle and Iain Glen from "Downton Abbey."

"Masterpiece" executive producer Rebecca Eaton called "Breathless" a "sharp, visually rich" portrait of characters "on the cusp of change."

"Breathless" is co-created and written by Paul Unwin ("Shameless," ''Agatha Christie's Miss Marple" and "Poirot").