STV Productions drama team has secured the television rights to a debut novel and a memoir by Scottish authors, as they continue to grow the business.
STV Productions has optioned Maggie & Me, the best-selling book by writer and columnist, Damian Barr.
A poignant and painfully funny memoir about growing up gay in Thatcher’s Britain, it won Sunday Times Memoir of the Year, and was BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. BAFTA nominated writer, Andrea Gibb, will develop the story as a long-running series for TV.
Gibb’s recent work includes feature film, Swallows and Amazons, and BBC series, Call The Midwife.
Fishnet – written by award-winning journalist, Kirstin Innes (pictured) – has been optioned for development as a serial for television.
Winner of The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize in 2015, this gripping and thought-provoking story follows Fiona’s obsessive search for her missing sister who disappeared six years ago – leaving her baby in Fiona’s care.
As she digs deeper into her sister’s secret life, she is drawn into the dark and complex world of Scotland’s sex industry. The shocking discoveries she makes will challenge everything she believed about sex work, and about the lost sister she thought she knew.
Kirstin Innes says: “Fishnet is about sex work, sisterhood and everyday economics, and is the result of three years’ worth of research. I am incredibly excited by STV’s vision for the book and can’t wait to see it on screen.”
Both series will be developed by STV’s Claire Armspach and Sarah Brown, with Sarah as executive producer.
Damian Barr says: “Andrea was always my dream writer – her work keeps me thinking long after I’ve stopped laughing or crying (she regularly evokes both). And with Claire and Sarah, I have the dream team. I couldn’t be more delighted. Maggie & Me is in hands I truly trust and I am excited to work on it with them.”
Sarah said: “As soon as we read Kirstin’s sensational debut novel, we knew it was the perfect material for television. This is no ordinary crime novel – along with its brilliantly plotted mystery, and wonderful characters, Kirstin’s book asks some brave and provocative questions about the world we live in.
“Similarly, Damian’s extraordinary book not only defines the experience of a generation of Thatcher’s children but will offer viewers an original, joyful and universal story about the triumph of the human spirit. We are incredibly excited to be working once again with some of the best creative talent in Scotland and bringing both of these fantastic books to the screen.”
STV Productions has a track record of producing quality drama, with four part thriller The Victim – starring Kelly Macdonald and John Hannah – transmitting later this year on BBC One.
STV Productions has also confirmed a second BBC drama commission – Elizabeth is Missing, adapted from Emma Healey’s novel by Andrea Gibb.
Last year, as part of a wider strategy announcement, STV confirmed ambitious plans to grow STV Productions into a world-class production company.
ENDS
For further information, please contact the STV press office:
Katie Martin
0141 300 3109
katie.martin@stv.tv
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