BBC DRAMA SLATE FOR THE YEAR AHEAD, NEW AND RETURNING TITLES

The BBC have revealed some of the new and returning drama titles airing this year and early next year.

Riot Women

Brand-new drama from the multi-BAFTA award-winning writer Sally Wainwright. In Riot Women we dive headfirst into the world of five women who come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest but, in writing their first original song, soon discover that they have a lot to say - and this is their way to say it.

As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, husbands who’ve buggered off, and disastrous dates and relationships, the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives, and it’s going to make them question everything.

Half Man

Richard Gadd and BAFTA award-winning actor Jamie Bellstar as estranged ‘brothers’ Ruben and Niall respectively. When Ruben shows up unexpectedly at Niall’s wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives. Spanning almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, Mitchell Robertson and Stuart Campbell play Niall Robertson and Ruben Campbell in their younger years.

Just Act Normal

Set in Birmingham and filmed across the West Midlands, Just Act Normal is coming soon to the BBC. When their mum disappears, Tiana, Tionne, and Tanika fight to hide the truth from the outside world in order to stay together as a family. As Tiana struggles to keep their regular lives afloat, Tionne displaces his grief and Tanika tries to convince her teacher to adopt them, chaos erupts when their mum’s hapless drug dealer, Dr Feelgood, moves in.

Reunion

Written by Sheffield-born deaf writer William Mager, Reunion (4x60) is an emotional thriller of revenge and redemption following the journey of Daniel Brennan, a deaf man determined to right his wrongs, while unravelling the truth behind the events that led him to prison. The series marks a milestone in inclusive storytelling, with the majority of cast and many members of the crew being deaf or using British Sign Language (BSL).

Wild Cherry

Meet Lorna (Carmen Ejogo), a self-made, successful, mixed black businesswoman from North West London who has worked hard to be where she is – and best friend Juliet (Eve Best), a woman born into the privileged gated community they both call home. Daughters Grace (Imogen Faires) and Allegra (Amelia May) are BFFs and live a life other teenagers can only dream of. A safe haven for the superrich and their little darlings, Richford Lake is a place where bad things never happen…

The Guest

The Guest (4x60) is an addictive, fast-paced story that centres on the toxic and beguiling relationship between a successful business owner, Fran, and her employee, Ria. Ria has never had the time or opportunity to think about what she might actually want from the world. So, when she starts cleaning for Fran, she’s intoxicated by this confident and self-assured woman who encourages her to take control of her life and, when Ria flourishes, an intense friendship is forged.

Untitled Jimmy McGovern

New drama from Jimmy McGovern which explores the impact of grooming and sexual abuse on one family. Set and filmed in Liverpool, the fictional drama centres around the Mitchell family who are dealing with the devastating aftermath of an act of abuse, and the knowledge that it was perpetrated by a member of their own family who, after serving his sentence, has just been released from prison.

Babies

The six-part series is a warm and touching drama which explores the delicate tightrope of love and loss in a young couple's desire to become parents. Lisa (Cullen) and Stephen (Essiedu) are dealing with the painful struggle of pregnancy loss while life continues around them. However, despite facing dark times of grief and loneliness, they are finding their way through it with a burning sense of hope, humour, and love, realising the strength of their relationship, which will ultimately bring them closer than ever.

The Bombing Of Pan Am 103

Forthcoming drama based on the true story of the bombing of a passenger flight over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 and the quest to bring the perpetrators to justice. On 21 December 1988, flight Pan Am 103 was en route from Heathrow to JFK when a bomb exploded in its hold over Lockerbie, killing 270 people, including 43 British citizens and 190 Americans. It was the worst ever terror attack on British soil and the first major act of terrorism against US citizens.

The Night Manager

Tom Hiddleston (Loki, The Essex Serpent) will reprise his iconic role as Jonathan Pine. The Night Manager will once again be written by series creator David Farr. BAFTA winner Georgi Banks-Davies (I Hate Suzie, Paper Girls) is attached to direct all six episodes of series two. Stephen Garrett will return to lead the production of the series. Hugh Laurie (All The Light We Cannot See, VEEP) will be an executive producer on the upcoming series. The Night Manager will pick up with Jonathan Pine eight years after the explosive finale of season one.

What It Feels Like For A Girl

Coming-of-age drama, inspired by the acclaimed memoir of the same name by the award-winning writer and journalist Paris Lees. It's a new millennium - Madonna, Moloko and Basement Jaxx top the charts, and there's a whole world to explore. But teenager Byron is stuck in a small working-class town that hasn’t been the same since the coal mine shut in the 80s. Sick of mam, sick of dad, sick of being beaten up for "talkin' like a poof". Sick of everyone shuffling about like the living dead, going on about kitchens they're too skint to do up and marriages they're too scared to leave. Byron needs to get away, and doesn't care how.

Lord Of The Flies

Jack Thorne adaptation of Lord of the Flies, the story of a group of young schoolchildren who find themselves stranded on a tropical island with no adults, following a deadly plane crash. In an attempt to remain civil, the boys organise themselves, led by Ralph and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy. But Jack, who is in charge of signal fire duty, is more interested in hunting and vying for leadership and soon begins to draw other boys away from the order of the group and, ultimately, from hope to tragedy.

The War Between The War And The Sea

The first Doctor Who spin-off series between the BBC and Disney+ is created by Doctor Who Showrunner and Executive Producer Russell T Davies, who has written the series with Executive Producer Pete McTighe. When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.

Blue Lights

Two years into their jobs as response officers, Grace, Annie and Tommy are accustomed to life under the blue lights. But their work will take them into a sinister world hidden behind the veneer of middle-class life, the world of the accountants and lawyers who facilitate organised crime. The old political and criminal order has gone and a new global gang rule Belfast, bringing danger closer to home for our officers than ever before.

The Gold

Following the conviction of some of those involved in the theft and handling of the Brink’s-Mat gold, the police (Hugh Bonneville, Charlotte Spencer, Emun Elliot) realised that those criminals only ever had half of it. Series two explores what happened to the other half, and the criminal fortune it created.

As the police investigation continues, it becomes a tense, high-stakes journey into international money laundering and organised crime, while the police embark on dramatic manhunts as they desperately try to solve the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the Metropolitan Police.

Returning favourites

Death in Paradise, Call the Midwife, Silent Witness, Shetland and Beyond Paradise, alongside EastEnders, Casualty, and Waterloo Road all continueand return.

Transmission details for all the titles mentioned above will be confirmed in due course.