BBC to make Lehman Brothers drama

James Cromwell was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Babe

Oscar nominated actor James Cromwell is to star in a BBC drama about the collapse of Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers, it has been announced.

The Last Days of Lehman Brothers will follow chief executive Dick Fuld as he attempts to strike a last-ditch rescue deal for the bank.

The hour-long drama will be screened on BBC Two this autumn.

Lehman's collapse last September helped trigger the world's worst recession since World War II.

Crowell, who was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in Babe, will star as US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson in the drama.

Spooks star Corey Johnson will appear as Fuld while Law and Order: UK star Ben Daniels and New Tricks actor James Bolam will also star.

Executive Producer Ruth Caleb, who worked on the acclaimed euthanasia drama Short Stay In Switzerland with Julie Walters, said: "In the year following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, writer Craig Warner has written a very engaging script inspired by those events.

"We are also very fortunate that we have an exceptional cast to bring those events to life."

Lehman Brothers, which was the fourth-largest US investment bank, filed for bankruptcy on 16 September after incurring losses of billions of dollars in the US mortgage market.

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