大象传媒

Telling stories that reflect the whole of the UK is about more than meeting quotas. It鈥檚 about enriching and emboldening what British drama means by honouring the true range of authorship across all of our nations and regions. I want to do more to celebrate that plurality. I want it to become an essential not-so-secret weapon and a core part of our USP.

In addition, as part of strengthening decision making and talent development outside of London, we are announcing Jessica Loveland as the Head of New Writing who will lead the new Writersroom based in Salford and four new commissioning roles across the UK.

Piers Wenger, Director 大象传媒 Drama, says: "Telling stories that reflect the whole of the UK is about more than meeting quotas. It鈥檚 about enriching and emboldening what British drama means by honouring the true range of authorship across all of our nations and regions. I want to do more to celebrate that plurality. I want it to become an essential not-so-secret weapon and a core part of our USP.鈥�

The writers of The Salisbury Poisonings, Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, have created an original police drama, Blue Lights, from Northern Ireland. Better, a thrilling redemption story set in Leeds, from the writers of Humans, Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley. Bafta and RTS Award-winning writer Nick Leather pens The Control Room from Scotland. Wolf, written by Megan Gallagher, based on Mo Hayder鈥檚 acclaimed Jack Caffery novels from Wales; and from Ruth Fowler, Rules Of The Game, set in North West, a gripping thriller starring Maxine Peake.

大象传媒 Three will build on its reputation as home to the most original and talked about drama for young audiences with upcoming titles Nic么le Lecky鈥檚 Superhoe, the Clarkson Twins鈥� Red Rose and Sally Rooney鈥檚 Conversations With Friends.

Today we are announcing three new series from exceptional emerging writers that shows our commitment to identifying and nurturing new talent. Grime Kids, an unmissable series from Theresa Ikoko set against the backdrop of the birth of grime in 90s East London; Ryan J Brown鈥檚 Wrecked, a comedy-horror set aboard a cruise liner; and Domino Day by Lauren Sequeira, a supernatural series set in Manchester which explores the inner turmoil of a young witch who tries to reconcile her dark powers with her quest to find love - all for 大象传媒 Three.

To ensure that the 大象传媒 is the most enabling and inspiring home for upcoming writers, we are creating a new Writersroom hub in Salford which will be led by Jessica Loveland (pictured) in her new role as Head Of New Writing. We will grow the next generation of commissioning talent across the Nations by creating four new assistant commissioning roles to lead on new writer development and support the existing commissioning editors for each of the Nations who sit within the drama team.

Jessica will provide editorial leadership and vision to the Writersroom team and oversee all talent writing initiatives. Jessica is currently Head of BFI Network and will start in June.

Ben Irving, Tommy Bulfin and Gaynor Holmes are the Commissioning Editors for Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland respectively, and we are confirming that Jo McClellan is taking on the role of Commissioning Editor for the North of England with immediate effect. The new Assistant Commissioner roles will have dual reporting lines to the Nations Commissioning Editors and the Head of New Writing.

These changes will bring the network and Nations teams closer together to commission content for all audiences to maximise portrayal, authenticity and impact.

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New commissions announced today

Blue Lights

大象传媒 One and 大象传媒 iPlayer
6x60' from Northern Ireland

Blue Lights is an original police drama created by the writers of The Salisbury Poisonings, Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn.

It is the story of rookie (probationary) police officers working in contemporary Belfast, a city in which being a frontline response cop comes with a unique set of pressures and dangers. As they learn the basics of their profession, our new officers have to come to terms with a constant threat. In this often chaotic environment our characters have just a few crucial months to make it as police officers.

Inspired by extensive research and interviews, and told with a caustic wit, Blue Lights is inspired by the experiences of serving police officers in Northern Ireland.

It鈥檚 a fast paced, frightening and funny insight into what happens when the idealism of the police college classroom meets the reality of life, in a precinct that鈥檚 as starkly divided as it is terrifyingly dangerous.

Blue Lights is Executive Produced by Tommy Bulfin for the 大象传媒, Stephen Wright for Two Cities Television and Louise Gallagher for Gallagher Films, and by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson. Two Cities is part of the STV Studios group of production labels. It is the latest commission to be announced as part of the 大象传媒 and Northern Ireland Screen partnership agreement.

Writers Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn say: 鈥淏elfast is our home town, and to be able to write a show set in the city we know and love is one of the great privileges of our lives. It鈥檚 a real joy to be bringing a major 大象传媒 drama back home."

Better

大象传媒 One and 大象传媒 iPlayer
6x60'

From the writers of Humans, Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley, and Sister, Better is a thrilling redemption story set in Leeds, using the landscape of the city and surrounding countryside as a backdrop to what becomes an epic battle for one woman鈥檚 soul.

After a family tragedy is narrowly averted, a corrupt police detective undergoes a painful moral awakening and decides to put right 20 years of wrongdoing - but satisfying her newfound conscience won鈥檛 be straightforward. She slowly realises that her redemption will only be complete once she brings down the powerful gangster she has worked for all this time, a man she helped rise to power, and has come to love like a brother.

Better is Executive Produced by Mona Qureshi for the 大象传媒 and Jane Featherstone, Chris Fry, Lucy Dyke, Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley for Sister in association with Northern Sister.

Writers Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley say: 鈥淏etter asks if a truly bad person can ever become good, and if so, how that could happen. The idea has been in our heads for 10 years, and we鈥檙e hugely fortunate to be telling it at last with the help of our old friends at the mighty Sister, in the great city of Leeds - and for 大象传媒 One, the perfect home for this very British story.鈥�

The Control Room

大象传媒 One and 大象传媒 iPlayer
3x60' from Scotland

Filmed and set in Scotland, The Control Room is a gripping new drama from Hartswood Films, written by Bafta and RTS Award-winning writer Nick Leather (Mother鈥檚 Day; Murdered For Being Different).

The Control Room tells the story of Gabe, an ordinary man who works as an emergency call handler for the Strathclyde Ambulance Service* in Glasgow. His world is turned upside down when he receives a desperate life-and-death call from a woman who appears to know him. With Gabe under pressure to work out who she is, he makes a decision that threatens to have devastating consequences.

The Control Room is Executive Produced by Gaynor Holmes for the 大象传媒 and Elaine Cameron for Hartswood Films. The producer is Eric Coulter and director is Amy Neil.

Writer, Nick Leather says: 鈥淚鈥檝e loved every minute of working with Hartswood and the 大象传媒 on The Control Room, and am thankful for the faith and support they鈥檝e shown in me and the project. It鈥檚 a head-spinning drama with a heart, and I can鈥檛 wait to collaborate with Amy Neil to now bring Gabe and Samantha to life, shooting on location in Scotland.鈥�

Wolf (w/t)

大象传媒 One and 大象传媒 iPlayer
6x60' from Wales

Filmed and set in Wales, Wolf is written by Megan Gallagher and based on Mo Hayder鈥檚 acclaimed Jack Caffery novels.

In an isolated house in the country a family find themselves the victims of a terrifying psychopath鈥檚 cruel games. Meanwhile DI Jack Caffery obsessively tries to find evidence to convict the neighbour he believes murdered his eight year-old brother in the 90s. When these two narratives collide it鈥檚 a race against time in this emotionally powerful, nail-biting and deeply disturbing crime-thriller/horror mash-up.

Wolf is Executive Produced by Ben Irving for the 大象传媒, Elaine Cameron for Hartswood Films and Laurent Boissel for APC Studios.

Writer Megan Gallagher says: 鈥淢o Hayder鈥檚 Wolf is a compelling, unique story with a bold, genre-mixing narrative. After reading the book in a single day, I knew I had a gem in my hands. I consider it an honour to bring DI Jack Caffery to 大象传媒 One, and working with the experienced, passionate producers at Hartswood and APC Studios is simply icing on the cake.鈥�

Rules of the Game

大象传媒 One and 大象传媒 iPlayer
4x60'

Rules of the Game is a gripping new four-part thriller about sexual politics in the modern workplace, starring Maxine Peake as Sam, a hard-headed manager at a family run business in the North West.

When new HR Director Maya begins her job at Fly, she tries to shake up the old-fashioned lad culture and begins investigating historic cases of misconduct. But Sam bristles at the suggestion of institutional bias against women - that was all in the past, and things are different now that she's in charge.

However, when Sam arrives at work one day to find a dead body in the office reception, she is forced to reckon with not only the murky behaviour in the present, but murderous secrets from the past as well.

Rules Of The Game is written by Ruth Fowler with George Faber and Mark Pybus as Executive Producers for The Forge, Lucy Richer and Ayela Butt for the 大象传媒. Jennifer Sheridan will direct all four episodes and the producer is Simon Meyers.

Writer, Ruth Fowler says: 鈥淲hen we conceived this show it was during the Weinstein scandal, and I was concerned it might have dated in the interim. How sadly wrong I was. I鈥檓 honoured the 大象传媒 and everyone else championing this story did not let it fade away as its relevance has become even more acute. Many women鈥檚 experiences, including my own, inspired this fictional show - with the added benefit that in the retelling no women were harmed, maimed or exposed to Harvey. I鈥檓 delighted the brave, wonderful and tenacious Maxine Peake is on board to help tell this story.鈥�

Grime Kids

大象传媒 Three and 大象传媒 iPlayer
6x45'

Inspired by DJ Target鈥檚 book, Grime Kids is an original drama exploring the emergence of grime music from subculture to international phenomenon, written by Bafta-nominated and BIFA-winning writer Theresa Ikoko.

Grime Kids charts the rise of a fictional group of young adults growing up in the late 90s, dreaming of being able to make their voice heard through grime music. Set against a backdrop of real events and cultural moments, Grime Kids reveals how grime, born from within British housing estates, took over the world.

Grime Kids is Executive Produced by Ben Irving for the 大象传媒, Theresa Ikoko and DJ Target and Tom Leggett, Preethi Mavahalli and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen.

Writer Theresa Ikoko says: 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to be part of bringing this show to life. I hope it celebrates and cements the contribution of young people across the country to British history, art and culture.鈥�

DJ Target says: 鈥淚鈥檓 beyond excited for this story to be brought to life on screen. It鈥檚 a real testament to how far UK music has come over the years, which is something that needs to be celebrated. Working with Theresa Ikoko and the mighty Mammoth Screen is a real honour, and I can鈥檛 wait for everybody to see this.鈥�

Wrecked

大象传媒 Three and 大象传媒 iPlayer
6x45'

Created by up-and-coming new writer Ryan J. Brown, Wrecked, filmed in Northern Ireland, is a mystery thriller, mixing jet-black comedy with a slice of slasher, set aboard a mega cruise ship.

The series follows 19 year-old Sheffield lad Jamie, a new recruit who joins the crew in search of his missing sister. She was working aboard the same vessel on a previous tour and never made it home.

Jamie is initiated into cruise life and gets a crash course on the teen tribes within the staff: the theatre kids, the drop-outs, the low-paid workers from developing nations. For this overworked and underpaid crew, life below deck is an odyssey of partying and excess鈥� and they remain oblivious to the bloodthirsty murders taking place on board. Jamie is forced to turn detective and uncover the sinister truth that runs as wide and deep as the ocean he鈥檚 trapped on.

Wrecked is Executive Produced by Tommy Bulfin for the 大象传媒 and Noemi Spanos for Euston Films

Writer, Ryan J Brown says: 鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly excited to be setting sail with the 大象传媒 and Euston Films. In Wrecked, the kills are brutal, the laughs are loud, and the heartfelt moments land with real candour. I wanted to create a piece of genre entertainment that had the savvy teen sharpness of Scream, the unsettling atmosphere of The Shining and the strange upstairs, downstairs mythology of Cabin In The Woods. At its core, Wrecked is a tense coming-of-age story about a lost, gay kid from Sheffield propelled into uncharted waters of escalating paranoia and self-discovery.鈥�

Domino Day

大象传媒 Three and 大象传媒 iPlayer
6x45'

Domino Day is a brand new series created and written by Lauren Sequeira and set in Manchester.

Modern dating can be an isolating, lonely experience, where feelings are hidden and meaningful connections always seem just out of reach. But Domino has one small advantage in the dating game: she isn鈥檛 swiping to find her soulmate - she鈥檚 using it to hunt.

Domino is a powerful young witch who is haunted by her need to feed on the energy of others. A hunger that only grows, despite her attempt to start her life over in Manchester, where she is desperately seeking a community who can help her understand what is happening to her. But Domino doesn鈥檛 need to try so hard - a coven of witches are already tracking her every move, convinced they have to stop her before her powers destroy everyone and everything around her.

Domino Day is Executive Produced by Lucy Richer and Ayela Butt for the 大象传媒, Laurence Bowen and Chris Carey for Dancing Ledge Productions and Lauren Sequeira.

Writer, creator and Executive Producer, Lauren Sequeira says: "I鈥檓 over the (full) moon to be doing this project with the 大象传媒 and Dancing Ledge Productions, who have really championed my career from the start. I wanted to write a supernatural series that wasn鈥檛 only thrilling and twisty, but also tapped into the very real dating scene and how it affects modern relationships.

"I can鈥檛 wait for the audience to meet Domino Day, and couldn鈥檛 imagine a better team than DLP - after being their writer-in-resident, many moons ago, it feels right that they鈥檒l now be producing my first original series.鈥�

*This copy was updated on 5/10/21, amending the name to 'Strathclyde Ambulance Service'