Filming on Idris Elba's hit show Luther is brought to a standstill as planned rooftop explosion goes awry sparking dramatic blaze
While Idris Elba's acclaimed TV show, Luther, is renowned for its dramatic storylines, things took a startling turn in real life as cameras rolled for the upcoming fourth season on Friday.
Idris, who plays the ruthless DCI John Luther in the show, was forced to halt shooting on the east London set after a planned rooftop explosion went awry, setting a cherry picker ablaze.
A team of firefighters promptly made their way to the set, where they battled and promptly extinguished the flames, allowing shooting to eventually resume on the debris-strewn streets.
Scroll down for video
Off to work I go: Idris Elba was spotted on the east London set of his hit TV show Luther on Friday
Mishap: Filming was temporarily halted as a planned explosion led to a cherry picker catching ablaze
Idris, 42, remained cool throughout the day's disruption, looking on and chatting to cast and crew-members as he waited to get back resume portraying his popular character.
The screen heart-throb, who is returning to the show after a two-year break, looked smart on the set, donning a light grey shirt and red tie under a tweed longline jacket, teamed with navy trousers.
With specks of grey in his beard and close-cropped hair, the father-of-two was soon back to investigating the scene of the fictitious explosion as local police officers stood by in the background.
Cool, calm and collected: The actor remained in jovial spirits as he waited for the blaze to be extinguished
Stepping out in style: The heart-throb donned a light grey shirt and red tie under a tweet, longline jacket
Dramatic scenes: The planned explosion on the set of the BBC One show initially went off without a hitch
Fire! A cherry picker located across the street soon caught alight in the aftermath of the explosion
No smoke without fire: Thick, black smoke was soon seen billowing into the surrounding streets
London's finest: A team of firefighters promptly arrived to battle the unexpected blaze
Down and out: As the flames subsided, pieces of damaged equipment were seen falling from the sky
The action of the day was all too much for fans to resist, with many seen clamouring around windows of their workplaces to look down on the BBC One show's work in the progress.
At the start of the month, Idris took to his Twitter account to announce his return to Luther, writing: First day back to set of John Luther....stand by East London.'
The BBC One Crime drama series centres on a near-genius murder detective [Elba], whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions.
He's back! Idris announced on Twitter that he'd resumed filming on the show at the beginning of the month
In style: As the screen star checked out the action, a crew members ensured that his wardrobe was intact
A sight to behold: The fire made for dramatic real-life scenes on the set, attracting curious onlookers
Swift action: The fire was quickly brought under control and eventually extinguished
Complex character: The actor plays troubled but brilliant DCI John Luther in the critically-acclaimed show
Hometown glory: Idris has been seen shooting the show at various locations in his native east London
Long wait: The most recent season of Luther aired back in 2003, and there has been talk of a movie
In January this year, the Brit actor announced that his BBC crime thriller series Luther is being adapted for the big screen and will be remade in the US.
The busy actor's next big screen projects include The Jungle Book, with Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray and Christopher Walken.
He'll also appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron, with Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo.
The fourth season of Luther, consisting of two 60-minute episodes, is scheduled to air on BBC One later this year.
Success: Luther provided a star-making turn for Ruth Wilson, who has gone on to enjoy Broadway success
Final adjustments: The wardrobe assistant ensured every last detail of Idris' costume was taken care of
Just another day at the office: Idris merrily chatted with members of the cast and crew between scenes
Back to business: He was soon seen getting back into character as the show's eponymous character
Law and order: Members of the local police force were seen filling the residential streets
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3014823/Filming-Idris-Elba-s-hit-Luther-brought-standstill-planned-rooftop-explosion-goes-awry-sparking-dramatic-blaze.html#ixzz3VcZUcnkq
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
