HBO Boards BBC Tudor Drama '1536'
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- HBO boarded the BBC's six-episode television adaptation of Ava Pickett's West End play '1536,' co-producing the Tudor-era drama with a logline framing it as a darkly comic story about 'how the actions of a man in power changes the fate of working-class women on the edges of the country.'
- Ava Pickett will serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer, calling the collaboration with HBO, the BBC, and Drama Republic a dream and saying she looks forward to bringing 'this story about power, patriarchy and friendship to a new audience.'
- Molly Manners, director of Netflix's 'One Day,' is set to direct '1536' and will also serve as executive producer alongside Jude Liknaitzky, Roanna Benn, Rebecca de Souza, and Chloe Beeson for Drama Republic, plus Anna Ferguson for the BBC.
- Drama Republic, a Mediawan Group Company, is producing the series, which follows three working-class women in Tudor England during Henry VIII's failing relationship with Anne Boleyn.
- HBO's head of drama Francesca Orsi called Pickett 'an immense talent' and said the network is 'elated' to help transform her 'singular vision' from stage to screen, while BBC director of drama Lindsay Salt praised the 'brilliantly bold scripts' and 'funny, courageous, and iconic female characters.'
Why it matters: The HBO-BBC co-production extends a transatlantic prestige pipeline that has delivered hits like 'Industry' and 'The Tourist,' giving Ava Pickett's stage play a global platform while reinforcing HBO's appetite for female-led historical dramas with contemporary political resonance.
