HBO and the BBC‘s newest collaboration will travel back to the reign of Henry VIII — but it’s very much not a story about the English king.
The two outlets have greenlit 1536, a darkly comedic drama from writer and showrunner Ava Pickett (The Great, How to Get to Heaven From Belfast). The series is based on Pickett’s play of the same name, which concluded a run in London’s West End on Aug. 1.
“We’re elated to partner with Ava Pickett and the BBC to bring her first television series to life,” said Francesca Orsi, executive vp HBO Programming and HBO Programming, head of HBO drama series and films. “Ava is an immense talent, and we couldn’t be more excited and honored to work with her on transforming her singular vision of 1536 from stage to screen.”
Molly Manners (One Day) is set to direct the six-episode series. Pickett and Manners will executive produce with Jude Liknaitzky, Roanna Benn, Rebecca de Souza and Chloe Beeson for Drama Republic and Anna Ferguson for the BBC.
“I’m so excited and thrilled to be working with HBO, the BBC and Drama Republic on 1536 and feel very lucky to have them champion this story so fiercely,” said Pickett. “And to be collaborating with the brilliantly talented Molly Manners is a dream come true. I can’t wait to bring this story about power, patriarchy and friendship to a new audience.”
1536 is set in the aftermath of the execution of Anne Boleyn by Henry VIII. The show’s description reads, “A darkly comic and terrifyingly relevant story about friendship, sisterhood, and a changing world, 1536 explores how the actions of a man in power changes the fate of working-class women on the edges of the country. It asks if a king can murder his queen, what does that mean for women elsewhere, and how much have things really changed?”
“We are thrilled to be working once again with the HBO team and look forward to bringing Ava’s brilliantly bold scripts to life together with the team at Drama Republic,” said Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama. “We can’t wait for viewers to see these funny, courageous, and iconic female characters on screen.”
