Philip Barantini, director of the Netflix sensation Adolescence, always knew that the “one-shot” four-parter was special. But in the wake of headlines and social media generated by the show, he now knows just how special.
The words “Be good” are tattooed on Jack Thorne’s wrist. It says much about one of our most lauded and in-demand TV dramatists. Two Thorne hits, Adolescence and Toxic Town, have made headlines this year; another two – The Hack and Lord of the Flies – are likely to make waves; and filming has begun on Channel 4 series Falling, starring Paapa Essiedu and Keeley Hawes in what is billed as Thorne’s “first ever love story”.
Falling will tell the story of two deeply religious characters, Anna and David. A devoted nun who has spent most of her adult life in a convent, Anna never expected to fall in love. And neither did David, a catholic priest committed to his work in the church and his Bristol community.
But when they do, both experience a crisis of faith as they try to reconcile their love with their relationship with God.
A co-production with ITV Studios and Australia’s Stan, the seven-part programme is produced by the same team behind Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Starring David Tennant (Doctor Who), Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting) and Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), it will explore two real-life stories.
Much of the cast are making their professional acting debuts on the show, following an open casting call.
In the four-part drama, a plane crash strands a group of schoolboys on a desert island. Without adults, the children attempt to organise themselves, to disastrous results. Ralph tries to provide structure, supported by the intellectual Piggy. Eventually, though, Jack – who oversees the signal fire – challenges Ralph’s leadership, and tempts other boys into savagery.
An “Access Coordinator” is a relatively new role in the world of British television. But it is one that disabled-led organisations, such as TripleC and DDPTV (Deaf and Disabled People in TV), have wanted to see brought in for several years.
Jack Thorne helped to shine a light with his blistering 2021 Edinburgh MacTaggart lecture. His stark message was that TV had “failed disabled people utterly and totally”.
Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show and Succession), Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders and the upcoming Victorian boxing drama A Thousand Blows), Abi Morgan (The Hour and The Split) and Jack Thorne (National Treasure and His Dark Materials) have all been honoured by the RTS.
The Fellowships were presented last night during the RTS Patron Dinner at One Great George Street in London.
Corby, a town in Northamptonshire, experienced one of the biggest child poisoning cases the UK has ever seen, after it was exposed to a high volume of toxic waste in the 1980s and 90s.
Children born in this period were three times more likely to have birth defects than the rest of the UK.
In Toxic Town, Jack Thorne (Best Interests) will focus on three mothers who fought on the frontlines for justice, battling in court for recognition of Corby’s mistreatment.
