It's hard to believe it's only been three months since Baby Reindeer dropped on Netflix, transforming writer-star Richard Gadd from Edinburgh Fringe comedian to global phenomenon seemingly overnight. But whilst Gadd's lacerating televisual account of his experiences with an obsessive stalker continues to dominate the cultural discourse, the multi-hyphenate Scotsman is already hard at work on his next project, Lions. Originally announced back in February as a BBC drama, today THR have confirmed that the show — which tells a decades-spanning tale of two men and their complicated relationship over the years — will in fact be a BBC and HBO co-production.
Gadd is set to write the six-part series, both set in and filmed in and around Glasgow, with Alexandra Brodski and Eshref Reybrouck attached to direct. Here's the official synopsis for the show: "When Niall's estranged 'brother' Ruben shows up at his wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives. Spanning almost forty years from the 1980s to the present day, this ambitious series will cover the highs and lows of the brothers' relationship, from them meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults – with all the good, bad, terrible, funny, angry, and challenging moments along the way. It will capture the wild energy of a changing city - a changing world, even - and try to get to the bottom of the difficult question... What does it mean to be a man?"
Given the propensity for psychologically nuanced and poignant character drama Gadd demonstrated with Baby Reindeer, Lions sounds already like a perfect marriage of artist and material. It also looks set to continue an ongoing trend of sweeping episodic stories being told on the big and small screen, which has included shows like Normal People, One Day, and This Is Us, and Robert Zemeckis' upcoming movie Here. We'll give you more details on Lions' release plans and cast just as soon as we get them, but regardless of who's in it or when it gets here, you can guarantee we'll all be watching. But not in a Martha kind of way, obviously. Sent from my iPhone.