In the world of book-to-screen adaptation, where I now ply my trade, I have developed an allergic reaction to producers who tell an author, hand on heart, with pained expression, that the drama series they make will “honour” their book, whether novel or non-fiction.
Written by John Morton (W1A), the series follows a group of agents at a top London talent agency as they try to keep their demanding clients satisfied and their business afloat after the sudden death of the company’s owner.
Leading the cast of agents will be Jack Davenport as Jonathan, Maggie Steed as Stella, Prasanna Puwanarajah as Dan and Lydia Leonard as Rebecca.
'It’s easy to just take the piss out of showbusiness. In many ways, it’s laughable: we’re not saving lives, it’s a distraction, we’re like shadow puppets on a cave wall,” says Jack Davenport (This Life, Coupling), star of Ten Percent. “But John Morton’s evocation of the world of showbusiness in the UK in the year 2022 shows tenderness. These are real people with real vulnerabilities.”
Through the comedy-drama chic of Call My Agent! (Dix Pour Cent), the down and dirty cop-show grit of Spiral (Engrenages), the adventures of gentleman thief Assane Diop in Lupin or the political thrills and spills of The Bureau, international viewers are devouring subtitled French sass with gusto.
