Six-part true story of the Mitford sisters
29th November 2022 UKTV free-to-air channel Drama announces its first UKTV Original commission Outrageous (6x60), produced by Firebird Pictures, and written by Sarah Williams (Small Island, Flesh and Blood, The Long Song).
Outrageous is the true story of six sisters who refused to play by the rules and whose often-scandalous lives made headlines around the world. Set against the gathering storm clouds of the 1930s, Outrageous will bring the full, uncensored story of the Mitford sisters to the screen for the first time - a story of family betrayals, public scandal, political extremism, personal heartache and even imprisonment. Refusing to conform to a world order that was collapsing around them, the show explores how and why these women were so ahead of their time - and what drove them to take their very different, complex and often extreme paths. A family saga like no other, this is the Mitfords as they really were: unapologetic, outrageous and utterly human.
Writer Sarah Williams said,
Ive been intrigued by these notorious sisters for many years and am thrilled to finally be bringing their stories to the screen. Weve seen many fictionalised versions of their lives before, but in this familys case, the truth really is far stranger and more astonishing than anything you could invent. These six headstrong women have often been accused of being mad, bad and dangerous to know - and a couple of them were - but what they all had was the absolute courage of their convictions and to hell with the consequences. And that makes for a cracking good story.
UKTV Original series Outrageous has been commissioned by senior commissioning editor Philippa Collie Cousins with head of scripted Pete Thornton and is ordered by Drama channel director Emma Ayech. The series will be produced by Firebird Pictures, which is wholly owned by BBC Studios, and executive producers are Elizabeth Kilgarriff and Matthew Mosley. Philippa Collie Cousins will executive produce for UKTV.
UKTV senior drama commissioner Philippa Collie Cousins said,
This is an exciting piece of television. A witty, deliciously entertaining and addictive family saga, Outrageous will captivate and enthrall audiences - much like a favourite novel you just cant put down thanks to Sarah Williams clever and inciteful writing. Our aim is for each character to resonate with the audience and stay with them for a long time after the end credits.
Drama channel director Emma Ayech added,
I am delighted to announce the first original commission for Drama which is the next step in our continued ambition to be the destination channel for fans of quality British drama. Outrageous is an instantly gripping story about six fascinating and uncompromising sisters who were the celebrities of their day. Sarah Williams witty and highly engaging scripts will bring the glamour, scandal and heartache of the Mitfords world to life in a way that Dramas audiences will relish.
Firebird Pictures said
When Sarah first talked about wanting to write a show about the Mitfords, we thought that we already knew these women and the scandals and extreme politics that shaped them. But what we didnt know was the real story behind the headlines of six sisters who refused to conform and refused to compromise. Even today their stories would be considered extraordinary and we feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to get beneath the skin of these fascinating, challenging and complex women by bringing Sarahs beautiful and gripping family saga to life onscreen
Cast and crew will be announced over the coming months, with the series due to air exclusively on Drama. Production will commence next summer.
-
For more information, please contact: Gem Pinkney, Head of Consumer Comms
Notes for Editors:
Sky 143, Virgin Media 130, Freeview, YouView, TalkTalk & BT 20, Freesat 158 +1 Sky 243, Virgin Media 226, Freeview, YouView, TalkTalk & BT 60 On demand on Sky & Virgin Media
Free-to-air channel Drama is passionate about bringing Britain the best quality drama. From period to contemporary, family to comedy, the channel is a treasure trove of well-loved classics and modern drama which showcases the greatest stories ever told. With programmes including familiar favourites Call the Midwife, Pride and Prejudice, New Tricks and Silent Witness, and brand new and exclusive hits The Sister Boniface Mysteries and The Brokenwood Mysteries, this is the channel where viewers can escape and indulge in a handpicked range of the nations most celebrated TV dramas.
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UKs most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the worlds leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.
corporate.uktv.co.uk | press.uktv.co.uk | @uktvpress
About Firebird Pictures
Firebird Pictures is a scripted production company set up by former BBC Executives Elizabeth Kilgarriff and Craig Holleworth in 2019. With a particular focus on character-led series, Firebird works with the best writing and directing creatives to produce high end, bold and distinctive content for UK and International audiences. With two major new series in production - Wilderness, written by Marnie Dickens and starring Jenna Coleman for Amazon Prime
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
15/04/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, announces the market launch of the ACCE...
15/04/2026
Harmonic's XOS Media Processor Delivers Exceptional Video Quality to More th...
15/04/2026
Five Decades of Box Office Intelligence: Comscore Celebrates 50 Years of Movie M...
15/04/2026
Two Cities Television and Keeper Pictures to produce six-part series in association with Screen Ireland for RT and ITV Studios
RT has commissioned Two Citie...
15/04/2026
RT 100
RT unveils The Signal' a specially commissioned 60-second film
...
14/04/2026
ToolsOnAir and Omnistream Bring Mobile SRT Contribution into Professional 24/7 P...
14/04/2026
Captures a trio of renowned polysynths
The latest software to join AIR Music Tech's extensive catalogue captures the sound of three sought-after polysyn...
14/04/2026
Free offering includes 10 powerful plug-ins
United Plugins have announced the launch of a new bundle that brings together 10 of their pro-audio plug-ins, an...
14/04/2026
Julian Coryell joins virtual session player line-up
Announced at NAMM 2026, Celemony's Tonalic kits DAW users out with real performances by world-class ...
14/04/2026
X-Rite Pantone Color Academy Grand Opening in Shanghai
On March 27, 2026, X-Rite Pantone, the global authority in color standards and color science, held the...
14/04/2026
14 Apr 2026
VEON and JazzWorld Receive Competition Commission of Pakistan Appro...
14/04/2026
Tuesday 14 April 2026
Nicola Coughlan and Aimee Lou Wood to host next two episo...
14/04/2026
Lead writer and executive producer Jack Lothian joins alongside lead director Je...
14/04/2026
Wuppertal April 14, 2026
Thomas Riedel Acquires Premium Manufacturer ARRIStrategic Alignment With the Riedel Group for Innovation and Growth
Thomas Riedel, f...
14/04/2026
New Service Simplifies Integration of AI Applications with Exceptional Reliabili...
14/04/2026
Luxembourg, April 14, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, today annou...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Composition Builder 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Composition Builder 2026 application for macOS enables TV stations and Live Event broadcast...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:live pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:live pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel Live Production Playout solution for video and static or real-ti...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:play pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:play pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel automated 24/7 Master Control playout solution with SD, HD and U...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr live:cut 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: live:cut is an option to just:in mac pro 2025 and enables multicamera production workflows for up to 16 cam...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite NDI 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite NDI application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specific...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specifically for...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir just:in mac pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:in mac pro is a macOS-based client-server multichannel capture solution to record SDI, HDMI, N...
13/04/2026
Intuitive EQ plug-in gets an upgrade
Following its official launch back in February 2026, Musik Hack's intuitive EQ plug-in has been treated to its firs...
13/04/2026
Flagship soft synth collection expanded
The latest version of UVI's flagship vintage-inspired soft synth collection has just arrived, expanding the suit...
13/04/2026
Free version of innovative string library arrives
Released in October 2025, Lux Orchestral Strings was said to be Sonuscore's most ambitious library to ...
13/04/2026
The Girls' Research Camp is part of the Technology - Future in Bavaria edu...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz transforms submarine communications for real time underwater dom...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz enables Pulsar signal simulation to support next-generation navi...
13/04/2026
The search for Ireland's newest country music star is live on Friday 17 Apri...
13/04/2026
Monday 13 April 2026
Global environmental action NGO WRAP brings recycling to l...
13/04/2026
J nger Audio has joined the EBU ADM Implementers Group (ADM-IG) as a founding me...
13/04/2026
FOX Latin America Announces The Launch Of The FOX Channel In Central America And...
13/04/2026
No amps, no safety net The biggest challenge was the music itself. Everything in the film is acoustic and unamplified. The theme itself is kind of hard to expl...
13/04/2026
RT Radio 1 has today launched a significant step in its ongoing strategic evolution. Following the launch of its brand-new schedule late last year, RT Radio 1...
13/04/2026
The Late Late Show Opening Act, the search for Ireland's newest country musi...
13/04/2026
RT has today announced the appointment of Annemarie Britz to the position of Chief Financial Officer, RT following a public competition.
Annemarie Britz is c...
12/04/2026
Headphone system designed for immersive monitoring
With the demand for immersive audio showing no signs of slowing down, lots of companies are turning their...
11/04/2026
Engineer collective welcome Freddy Knop
Infrasonic, an award-winning collective of audio engineers operating out of Nashville and Los Angeles with credits r...
10/04/2026
After launching the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico last year, we brought the fan-voted celebration to Paris this week for its first edition in France. Hosted ...
10/04/2026
Powered and unpowered live PA ranges upgraded
Yamaha have just refreshed four of their hugely popular PA speaker ranges, delivering significant improvements...
10/04/2026
Underlying plug-in & VI technology now available to others
UJAM's latest announcement sees the company open up' Gorilla Engine, the development pla...
10/04/2026
Luxembourg, April 10, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, announces that it has entrusted BNP Paribas with the implementation of a liquidity agreemen...
Six-part true story of the Mitford sisters
