Written and directed by Mortimer, The Pursuit of Love tells a story about the complexities of love and friendship starring Lily James (War & Peace), Emily Beecham (Into the Badlands), Andrew Scott (Fleabag) and Dominic West (Brassic).

Set in Europe between the times of World War one and two, the series follows the adventures of the charismatic and confident Linda Radlett (James) and her best friend and cousin Fanny Logan (Beecham).

The two women are on the hunt for the perfect husband, both excited at the prospect of experiencing love and marriage. However, the pair begin to drift apart when Logan settles down into a stable life and Radlett continues to follow her heart, drifting from one wild place to another.

Social and political divisions are splitting the country and their contrasting choices raise questions about love, sex, freedom and what the human heart really wants.

Dominic West and Dolly Wells play Radlett’s parents Uncle Matthew and Aunt Sadie, Andrew Scott plays Lord Merlin, the Radlett’s rich and quirky neighbour, and Mortimer plays Logan’s mother.

Throughout the series, Radlett and Logan have multiple suitors, including Fabrice de Sauveterre played by Assaad Bouab, Alfred Wincham played by Shazad Latif and Tony Kroesig played by Freddie Fox.

Emily Mortimer took on the adaptation because of her love for Nancy Mitford, commenting: “It’s an outrageously funny and honest story, whose central character - the wild, love-addicted Linda Radlett - still reads as a radical.

“I feel privileged to be directing this show and working with the brilliant teams at Open Book, Moonage Pictures, Amazon and the BBC.”

Lily James added: “It’s great to be working with Emily. Her brilliant scripts bring new life to this story - full of love, full of friendship, very moving and sad in places, but also funny and true to life.”

The three-part series will be filmed mainly in the Bristol and Bath area and in accordance with current government guidelines.

The Pursuit of Love will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and will be distributed internationally by BBC Studios.