EXCLUSIVE: The BBC is delving into the history of Soho’s criminal underworld for its next big-budget drama series.
stupid girls will be a six part series Is dark material Producer Bad Wolf Productions for BBC One.
Our sources say the BBC is looking stupid girls as spiritual successor Peaky Blindersand Bad Wolf are said to be in the early stages of talks with US co-production partners and global streaming services.
Polly Stenham (The face, The neon demon) and Alex Warren (Eleanor) write stupid girlsinspired by Marek Kohn’s non-fiction book Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground.
Full plot details have not been released, but we understand that it follows the birth of the nightclub scene in London’s Soho. Combining elements of Kohn’s book’s fact-based investigation with fictional characters and storylines, the series explores all aspects of the criminal world of early 20th-century Soho.
We’re told it’s partly based on the true story of conservative, god-fearing 42-year-old single mother Kate Meyrick, who builds a nightclub empire and a family crime business, becoming London’s most dangerous woman as well as a rival to Brilliant Chang, the baron of the seedy Soho underworld.
Their nightclubs are fueled by drugs and alcohol, allowing a generation of WWI veterans and survivors to forget their trauma and break through the rigid patriarchal structures of the time to allow women to dance with whom they choose, have sex have and use drugs.
Filming will begin later this year and the cast will be announced in due course.
Stenham and Warren will join Bad Wolf’s Kate Crowther and Jane Tranter and Michael Lesslie (Assassin’s Creed) is also executive producer. The project was developed and overseen by Bad Wolf Director of Content Dan McCulloch and Chief Creative Officer Ryan Rasmussen.
xiao tang (You killed my robot) and Matthew James Morgan (The rig) are other authors.
We’ve heard the series has been commissioned by BBC head of content Charlotte Moore and BBC executive producer Rebecca Ferguson. Ferguson, series producer op The responder And The trial of Christine Keelerjoined the BBC Drama Commissioning Team last August, we revealed at the time.
Among the BBC’s most recent drama commissions is that of Peter Kosminski Grenfellthe latest collaboration from Russell T. Davies and Nicola Shindler men up and Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre’s adaptation of Agatha Christie murder is easya co-production with BritBox International.
Bad Wolf and the BBC have collaborated on a number of occasions in the past, most notably on Is dark material and the HBO associate prof Industryand 2023 will be a big year for the couple as they prepare to launch the Russell T. Davies reboot Doctor who with the BBC Studios. Doctor who Spin-offs are expected, including one based on the military research organization UNIT, starring Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart.
Sony-owned Bad Wolf is also behind A discovery of witches for Sky and AMC and Lucy Prebble’s Sky and HBO Max co-pro i hate sissy. It is currently in production for a third season of the Town Merchant drama Industry. Also on the list is ITVX’s King Arthur drama The winter king for ITVX.
The BBC and Bad Wolf declined to comment.
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
