VOD News | On 28, Jun 2024

The BBC and HBO are teaming up to co-produce Richard Gadd’s new drama series, Lions.

Gadd’s name and face will probably need little introduction after his drama Baby Reindeer was released on Netflix this spring, becoming one of the most talked about shows of the year.

Lions will be a decades-spanning series about two brothers. 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. Running from the 1980s to the present day, the 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?  

Alexandra Brodski (“Somewhere Boy,” “Rivals”) and Eshref Reybrouck (“Ferry: The Series” and “Cheyenne & Lola”) are attached to direct, and the series will be produced by Wendy Griffin (“Limbo,” “The Lost King”) and executive produced by Tally Garner and Morven Reid for Mam Tor Productions (a Banijay UK company), Richard Gadd, and Gaynor Holmes for the BBC, with Gavin Smith for BBC Scotland.
 


Kara Buckley, Senior Vice President HBO Drama Programming, says: “We are tremendously excited to partner with the BBC and Richard Gadd, whose remarkable talent continues to make waves across the globe. With this new, gripping and evocative series, we are proud to welcome Richard to the HBO family.”
 


Gadd says: “Ordering a HBO boxset of The Sopranos, The Wire, or Oz and watching it from start to finish were some of the happiest moments of my childhood. Since then, it has always been a dream of mine to work with HBO and be part of their iconic roster of shows. I am so grateful to Francesca Orsi, Kara Buckley and Clint LaVigne for taking this chance on the show and on Ruben and Niall too who – despite growing up in a dead-end Scottish town – would be absolutely pinching themselves at this! I cannot wait to get started.”
 
 

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “We are delighted that HBO are joining us to bring Richard Gadd’s exquisite Lions scripts to the screen. This is bold, brilliant, one-of-a-kind storytelling and we can’t wait for viewers to see it.”

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