Richard Gadd, the creation behind Baby ReindeerNetflix's biggest hit of 2024 so far, is producing a new TV series, but it won't premiere on the streaming giant.
In a joint press release from HBO and BBC, the two entertainment giants confirmed that Gadd's next project, titled lions, will debut on their respective cable and terrestrial television channels, as well as the BBC iPlayer streaming platform, when ready for release. Gadd will write the scripts for the six-part series and will be part of its important executive production team.
So what will it be lions be about? Here's the official story summary for the TV drama: “When Ruben, Niall's estranged 'brother', turns up at their wedding, an explosion of violence ensues that catapults us back through their lives.
“Spanning nearly forty years from the 1980s to the present, this ambitious series will cover the ups and downs of the brothers' relationship, from their meeting as teenagers to their fights as adults, with all the good, the bad, the terrible and The fun. Angry, angry and challenging moments along the way will capture the wild energy of a changing city, even a changing world, and try to get to the bottom of the difficult question… What does it mean to be a man?
Richard Gadd is all set to make his next TV series 'LIONS' for HBO. The series follows the relationship between a pair of separated brothers over 40 years. pic.twitter.com/QGbal8kzHIJune 27, 2024
In a statement accompanying the revelation, Gadd said: “Ordering an HBO box of The sopranos, The wireeither Oz and watching it from start to finish were some of the happiest moments of my childhood. Since then, it has always been a dream of mine to work with HBO and be a part of their iconic slate of shows. I'm so grateful to Francesca Orsi, Kara Buckley and Clint LaVigne for taking this opportunity on the show, and also to Ruben and Niall, who, despite growing up in a dead-end Scottish town, would absolutely pinch themselves over this. ! “I can't wait to get started.”
Kara Buckley, senior vice president of drama programming at HBO, also said: “We are tremendously excited to partner with the BBC and Richard Gadd, whose remarkable talent continues to make waves around the world. With this exciting and evocative new series, “We are proud to welcome Richard to the HBO family.”
“We are thrilled that HBO is joining us to bring Richard Gadd's exquisite film. lions scripts to the screen,” added BBC drama director Lindsay Salt. “This is bold, brilliant and unique storytelling and we can't wait for viewers to see it.”
A blow to Netflix or a bullet dodged?
Minor spoilers follow baby reindeer.
At first glance, it seems like Netflix has missed a trick with Gadd's latest TV project. baby reindeer has been a titanic success for the best streaming service in the world, with the black comedy-drama miniseries accumulating 224.2 million hours transmitted in its first 28 days on the platform. Add to that its near-perfect 98% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes (it also has an 80% audience rating on the same website) and its dominance of TV show town throughout May, and it won with you grow your title as the biggest cultural phenomenon of 2024. .
So why didn't Netflix try to continue its existing relationship with Gadd and make a bid to acquire her? lions? Well, we can't say for sure that it wasn't like that. There is a good chance that Netflix has attempted to usurp HBO and the BBC in the battle to secure the exclusive rights to broadcast Lions into homes around the world. It is also possible that, given baby reindeerFollowing the unprecedented success, the two studios not only moved quickly to work with one of the biggest current names in the industry, but they also teamed up to take advantage of Netflix's offering. This isn't the first time HBO and the BBC have worked together either; the two companies joined forces to bring doctor who (before Disney Plus struck a different deal with the BBC ahead of Ncuti Gatwa's debut as the lead character, anyway) and Its dark materials to their respective audiences. The couple, then, has a previous way of coming together to beat their competitors in the projects.
However, it is also plausible that Netflix simply avoided Lions because of the bad publicity it got afterBaby ReindeerThe Release. Yes, one of Netflix's best shows this year was another big win for the streamer, but its explosion in popularity came at a cost — a potentially costly one based on lawsuits.
For the uninitiated: baby reindeerThe story is based on real-life events, in which Gadd was allegedly harassed by a woman for years. Understandably, for legal and privacy reasons, the identity of said person has not been revealed as part of the television series; in fact, Jessica Gunning, who plays the unnamed woman, has a different name (Martha Scott) in baby reindeer.
Unfortunately for the woman Martha is inspired by, and despite Gadd's best efforts to put an end to speculation about her real name, Internet sleuths quickly determined her identity. Almost a month later Baby ReindeerIn the April 11 statement, controversial British journalist Piers Morgan interviewed a woman on his talk show. Morgan Springs Uncensored who not only claimed to be Martha's real-life inspiration, but was also suing Netflix for $170 million for, according to the BBC, breach of privacy, defamation and negligence.
Now, I'm not suggesting that Netflix has chosen not to bid for… lions based on the baby reindeer consequences, but I can't help but feel that the acquisition of the rights to Gadd's new show by HBO and the BBC, not Netflix, is a bit of a coincidence. Regardless, we'll probably never know for sure, which means the question of whether this is a blow to Netflix or a bullet dodged remains answered.
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