ITV Studios Global Entertainment unveils impactful spring drama slate at second annual Drama Festival

Published: Wed 20 Feb 2019

ITV Studios Global Entertainment unveils impactful spring drama slate at second annual Drama Festival

Epic World War Two drama World On Fire and screen adaptation of Malorie Blackman's Noughts Crosses lead alongside crime drama Wild Bill starring six-time Golden Globe Nominee Rob Lowe

ITV Studios Global Entertainment will today unveil its new spring drama slate to international buyers at its second annual Drama Festival. Featuring a range of new titles from ITV Studios' production labels and leading independent producers, the Festival showcases some of the most exciting and powerful dramas soon to launch to the international market.

Ruth Berry, Managing Director of ITV Studios Global Entertainment said,

Our 2019 Spring drama slate is stronger than we could have ever imagined. It is bursting with world-class drama; each one I am pleased to say we have backed all the way from its inception. Our drama festival is the perfect setting for buyers to be immersed in these incredible stories and to see and hear first-hand from their talented creators what it has taken to craft them into the masterpieces they see on screen today.

Headlining the slate is Mammoth's Screen's World on Fire (7 x 60'), the heart-stopping, multi-stranded drama for BBC One which tells the story of World War Two through the lives of ordinary people from all sides of the global conflict. World on Fire is written by multi award-winning Peter Bowker and stars Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and Lesley Manville alongside rising stars Jonah Hauer-King, Julia Brown and Zofia Wichlacz.

Also from Mammoth Screen is the adaptation of Malorie Blackman's best-selling novel series Noughts Crosses (6 x 60'). Set in a dangerous alternate world, it tells the story of Sephy, a member of the black ruling class and Callum, a member of the white underclass who are divided by their colour but united by a forbidden love and burning injustice. Noughts Crosses stars Helen Baxendale (Cold Feet, Cuckoo), Paterson Joseph (Timeless, Peep Show), Jack Rowan (Peaky Blinders, Born to Kill) and newcomer Masali Baduza. It is executive produced by Participant Media and Roc Nation for BBC One.

Six-time Golden Globe-nominee Rob Lowe (West Wing, Parks and Recreation) stars as the high-flying US police chief Bill Hixon, who is tasked with shaking up the Lincolnshire Police Force in Wild Bill (6 x 60). From 42, Anonymous Content and Shiver for ITV, Wild Bill is a sharp-witted and original take on the police procedural.

A Confession (6 x 60') from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jeff Pope (Stan & Ollie, Philomena, Little Boy Blue) is a suspenseful, contemporary drama which centres on a thought-provoking true crime story and brings into question how we want our police to act in their pursuit of justice. It features an A-list cast including Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock) alongside Imelda Staunton (Maleficent, Harry Potter) and is produced by ITV Studios and Urban Myth Films for ITV.

The Bay (6 x 60') from Tall Story Pictures for ITV is written by the award-winning Daragh Carville (Being Human, The Smoke). It is a compelling and beautifully crafted crime story rooted in the families and communities of a distinctive coastal town. When Family Liaison Officer Lisa Armstrong (Morven Christie, Granchester, The A Word) is assigned to a missing person's investigation she realises with horror that she has a personal connection with this frightened family; one that could compromise her and the investigation.

Written by BAFTA-winner Danny Brocklehurst (Clocking Off, Accused), Brassic (6 x 60') is an edgy, bold and authentic comedy which follows a group of working-class friends who find unconventional ways to win at life. Vinnie (Joseph Gilgun, This Is England), a Lancashire lad with bipolar disorder, and Dylan (Damien Molony, Ripper Street), his razor-smart best mate star in this Calamity Films Production for Sky One.

Gold Digger (6 x 60') produced by Mainstreet Pictures for BBC One is a contemporary, character-driven relationship thriller which tells the story of Julia, a wealthy woman who falls in love with Benjamin, a much younger man with a shrouded past. Starring Primetime Emmy winner Julia Ormond (Sabrina, Legends of the Fall) alongside Ben Barnes (Westworld, The Punisher), their unconventional relationship tests the bonds of Julia's already damaged family.

Creative genius Shane Meadows reunites with This is England co-creator Jack Thorne and lead actor Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire, Taboo) for The Virtues (4 x 60') a Warp Films production for Channel 4. The Virtues is a complex, moving and gritty story of love and redemption shot through with heart and humour.

15 Days (4 x 60') from Boom Pictures for Channel 5 is an intensely human drama and original crime thriller that reverses the traditional investigate narrative - the story starts with a brutal murder, before rewinding immediately by 15 days to unleash the chain of events that led to that moment.

[ends]

Notes to Editors

Full ITV Studios Global Entertainment 2019 Drama Slate Descriptions:

World on Fire (7 x 60') Mammoth Screen, part of ITV Studios, for BBC One

From multi-award-winning writer Peter Bowker, this heart-stopping, multi-stranded drama tells the story of World War Two through the lives of ordinary people from all sides of this global conflict. Set amid the creeping horror of the outbreak of war during its first year, World on Fire follows an ensemble cast of vividly drawn characters as they traverse the ever-shifting lines between loyalty and brutality, and courage and fear, experience love and loss, and forge hopes and dreams. Features a stellar international line-up including Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and Lesley Manville.

Noughts Crosses (6 x 60') Mammoth Screen, part of ITV Studios, for B

LINK:	https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-studios-global-ente...
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