David Farnor | On 02, Apr 2022

Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani are teaming up for Channel 4 series Chivalry, and new images give us a first look at the comedy.

The six-part series – written by and starring Sarah Solemani (Him and Her, Barry) and Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge, Philomena) – explores the complex state of gender politics in the #MeToo era in the film and television industry. It stars Emmy award-winning Wanda Sykes as Jean Shrill, a shrewd studio executive. Jean arranges for Bobby Sohrabi (played by Sarah Solemani), a passionate indie-darling filmmaker, to take over as director of “A Little Death”, the problematic movie produced by Cameron O’Neill (played by Steve Coogan). Cameron must navigate remaining relevant at a time when cancel-culture is all too real and is surprised when spending time with Bobby awakens a creative side of himself, he thought had long-since passed. What will Jean do to keep her empire intact, and what will Bobby do to build one?

Marta Cunningham (Insecure, Fear the Walking Dead, Modern Love) will direct, Isabel Richardson (Russian Doll, Living With Yourself) will produce and the executive producers are Steve Coogan, Sarah Solemani, Marta Cunningham, Sarah Monteith (This Time with Alan Partridge) and Rupert Majendie (This Time with Alan Partridge, Pls Like).

The cast will also include Sienna Miller as Lark, the magnetic and dynamic leading actress of Cameron’s movie, Lolly Adefope as Ama, Cameron’s new assistant who’s eager to climb the ladder of success, Robert Lonsdale as Rick, the editor of “A Little Death”, and Adjani Salmon as Aston, Bobby’s patient, and generous husband.

You can see them in action this spring, when the series premieres on Channel 4. Until then, here the new images:

 

Lolly Adefope, Paul Rudd, Sienna Miller, Adjani Salmon join Channel 4’s Chivalry

27th August 2021

Lolly Adefope, Paul Rudd, Sienna Miller, Adjani Salmon are among the impressive names to join Channel 4’s star-studded Chivalry.

The six-part series explores the complex state of gender politics in the #MeToo era in the film and television industry. It stars Emmy award-winning Wanda Sykes as Jean Shrill, a shrewd studio executive. Jean arranges for Bobby Sohrabi (played by Sarah Solemani), a passionate indie-darling filmmaker, to take over as director of “A Little Death”, the problematic movie produced by Cameron O’Neill (played by Steve Coogan). Cameron must navigate remaining relevant at a time when cancel-culture is all too real and is surprised when spending time with Bobby awakens a creative side of himself, he thought had long-since passed. What will Jean do to keep her empire intact, and what will Bobby do to build one?

Joining them will be a cast that includes Sienna Miller (The Loudest Voice, American Woman), Lolly Adefope (This Time with Alan Partridge, Shrill), Robert Lonsdale (Chewing Gum, Finding Alice) and Adjani Salmon (Dreaming Whilst Black, Enterprice), alongside guest cameos from Paul Rudd (Living with Yourself, Ant Man), Peter Mullan (Cursed, Mum) and Amy Landecker (Your Honor, Transparent).

Chivalry is written by Sarah Solemani (Him and Her, Barry) and Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge, Philomena) and is produced by Baby Cow Productions.

Sienna Miller plays Lark, the magnetic and dynamic leading actress of Cameron’s movie. She’s a fighter and no stranger to The Hollywood Boys’ Club.

Lolly Adefope plays Ama, Cameron’s new assistant who’s eager to quickly climb the ladder of success. Robert Lonsdale joins playing Rick, the editor of “A Little Death” who aims to keep the film on track while often caught in the crossfire of Bobby and Cameron’s creative sparring.

Adjani Salmon is Aston, Bobby’s patient, and generous husband. Down on his luck from a failed start-up, Aston agrees to move to the tech-Mecca California with Bobby, hopeful to reinvent his career while Bobby strikes while the iron’s hot in hers.

Marta Cunningham (Insecure, Fear the Walking Dead, Modern Love) will direct, Isabel Richardson (Russian Doll, Living With Yourself) will produce and the executive producers are Steve Coogan, Sarah Solemani, Marta Cunningham, Sarah Monteith (This Time with Alan Partridge) and Rupert Majendie (This Time with Alan Partridge, Pls Like).

 

Sarah Solemani and Steve Coogan bring Chivalry to Channel 4

14th January 2020

Channel 4 has commissioned Chivalry, a timely comedy from Sarah Solemani (Him and Her, Barry) and Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge, Philomena). The six-part series tackles the complex state of contemporary sexual politics, while asking if romance can survive in the post #MeToo era.

An unlikely couple are put together by a cynical studio exec to salvage a failing movie. Bobby (played by Sarah Solemani), is a woke writer/director and mother of one, with a precarious relationship and a dodgy visa. She has industry heat after her successful, low-budget indie debut and is promised studio funding for her feminist Biblical biopic if she can rescue this sexually controversial thriller first.  
Cameron (Steve Coogan), is a successful film producer and ‘ladies man’, who has just been dumped by yet another twenty-something girlfriend (via WhatsApp). He knows he must detoxify his sexist movie or face ruin, and thus, an unlikely partnership is forged. 

As Bobby and Cameron work through their gender tensions, a creeping attraction and the nagging feeling that they are just pawns in the studio’s agenda for a Saudi buyout, reshooting a toxic sex scene becomes the tip of the iceberg. In the words of Channel 4, “how fluid are our politics and how political are our fluids”?

Solemani says: “Chivalry was born through a series of fiery debates with my comedy hero and renowned feminist, Steve Coogan. I am thrilled to be working with him, Christine Langan and Channel 4 commissioner, Caroline Hollick, on bringing this timely story to the screen.”

Coogan adds: “I am delighted to be working with the very funny, clever Sarah Solemani in the landscape of what in less enlightened times was called ‘the battle of the sexes’. Chivalry is more of a painfully honest, funny fencing match. We will attack, riposte, lunge, parry and counter-parry and perhaps, when the bout is over, take off our masks revealing our true selves.”

Caroline Hollick, Channel 4 Head of Drama, comments: “I’m so pleased to be able to bring the combined creative brilliance of Sarah Solemani and Steve Coogan to Channel 4.  In this era of #MeToo and complex gender politics, Chivalry feels the perfect way to explore this pertinent issue with a sense of fun, a razor-sharp wit and with romance at its heart.“

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