The series is produced by Firebird Pictures and written by Sarah Williams
Filming has begun on Outrageous (6x60'), a six-part series about the Mitford sisters, with a cast including Bessie Carter, Joanna Vanderham, Anna Chancellor and James Purefoy. The brand-new drama, created and written by Sarah Williams (Small Island, Flesh and Blood, The Long Song), and based on Mary Lovell's definitive biography The Mitford Girls, is made by Firebird Pictures and co-commissioned by UKTV and BritBox International and will air in 2025.
Outrageous is the story of six aristocratic sisters who refused to play by the rules, their often-scandalous lives making headlines around the world. Set against the gathering storm clouds of the 1930s, masked by the decadence, frivolity and lavishness of British high society, Outrageous will bring the full, uncensored story of the Mitford sisters to the screen for the first time - a story of family bonds and betrayals, public scandal, political extremism, love, heartache and even imprisonment. The show explores how and why these women, unwilling to conform, were so ahead of their time - and what drove them to take their very different, complex and often dangerous paths. A family saga like no other, this is the Mitfords as they really were: unapologetic, outrageous and utterly human.
Bessie Carter (Bridgerton, I Hate Suzie) is set to star as Nancy Mitford, alongside Joanna Vanderham (Crime, The Control Room) as Diana Mitford, Shannon Watson (The Jetty, Say Nothing) as Unity Mitford, Zoe Brough (Casualty) as Jessica Mitford, Orla Hill (Stonehouse, A Confession) as Deborah Mitford and Isobel Jesper Jones (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, The Serpent Queen) as Pamela Mitford. Their brother Tom will be played by Toby Regbo (Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Platform 7), with Anna Chancellor (My Lady Jane, Trust) and James Purefoy (The Veil, Malpractice) at the top of the family tree as Muv and Farve.
Other cast will include Joshua Sasse (Love is in the Air, Galavant) as Oswald Mosley, Jamie Blackley (Becoming Elizabeth, The Last Kingdom) as Peter Rodd, James Musgrave (Einstein and the Bomb) as Hamish Erskine, Calam Lynch (Bridgerton, Archie) as Bryan Guinness and Will Attenborough (Our Girl, The Hollow Crown) as Joss.
"We couldn't be more excited about the stunning cast we've assembled to breathe life into this epic tale"
Bessie Carter said: "I am thrilled and honoured to have the opportunity to bring someone as brilliant as Nancy Mitford to life. She was one piece of a truly fascinating family of remarkable and unique women, and I can't wait to tell their story."
Joanna Vanderham said: "I'm thrilled to be bringing to life the extraordinary, glamorous and controversial Diana Mitford. The role brings a new challenge for me as I delve into her character, which was forged in a tumultuous period in British history, the 1930s, and it's undeniable that the political climate she navigated holds a striking relevance to the present day."
Firebird said: "We couldn't be more excited about the stunning cast we've assembled to breathe life into this epic tale of sibling rivalry and political radicalisation - and we can't wait for directors Joss Agnew and Ellie Heydon to weave their visual magic in evoking the febrile world of 1930s Britain, where old social orders are crumbling and a group of headstrong, rebellious sisters set out to change the world, with sometimes devastating consequences."
Outrageous is a UKTV and BritBox International Original commission and will air on U&DRAMA and U, as well as BritBox International in North America, in 2025. UKTV's channel DRAMA and free streaming service UKTV Play will transition to U&DRAMA and U on 16th July following the launch of its masterbrand, U.
The series is produced by Firebird Pictures, one of BBC Studios' owned production labels, and executive producers are Elizabeth Kilgarriff, Matthew Mosley and Craig Holleworth. Helen Perry will executive produce for UKTV; Robert Schildhouse, Jess O'Riordan, and Stephen Nye will executive produce for BritBox International. Directors for the series will be Joss Agnew (The Man Who Fell to Earth, Vigil) and Ellie Heydon (Trying), with Natasha Romaniuk (The Suspect, Fifteen-Love) as producer. BBC Studios brokered the BritBox deal and will be handling global distribution. Filming is taking place in and around Buckinghamshire.
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Phelps, Publicity Manager, UKTV
Multitude Media - outrageous@multitudemedia.co.uk
Notes for Editors:
About Drama
Free-to-air channel Drama is passionate about bringing Britain the best quality drama. From period to contemporary, family to comedy, the channel is a treasure trove of well-loved classics and modern drama with stories for viewers to fully immerse themselves in.
With programmes including familiar favourites Call the Midwife, The Bill, New Tricks and Silent Witness, and brand new and exclusive hits Sister Boniface Mysteries, Whitstable Pearl and Signora Volpe, this is the channel where viewers can escape and indulge in a handpicked range of the nation's most celebrated TV dramas.
The channel's offering has also expanded in recent years with the UKTV Original TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood's hit novel The Marlow Murder Club. This two-part series stars Samantha Bond as no-nonsense, crossword-setter and wild-swimmer, Judith Potts, alongside Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew.
About UKTV Play
UKTV Play is an on demand TV service providing instant access to shows from UKTV's free-to-air channels - Dave, W, Yesterday and Drama. With the easy-to-use UKTV Play app you can browse and stream hundreds of shows for free via your computer, tablet or smart phone. You can also watch on the telly thanks to Freeview Play, Amazon Fire TV, YouView, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Freesat, NOW and Roku. If you're a Sky or Virgin Media customer, shows from other great UKTV channels - Gold, Alibi, and Eden - are also on the menu. UKTV Play will transition to U on July 16th 2024.
uktvplay.co.uk
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and scripted drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Sky, Virgin Media, Now Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, Freeview and Freesat; and to Irish viewers through Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW. Channel & content availability varies by platform.
UKTV's content is also available to UK viewers via dedicated FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, Virgin and Pluto TV. UKTV is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.
UKTV recently announced that U - its new masterbrand - will launch on 16th July, including a quality line-up of content of nearly 8,500 hours on its free streaming service, an uplift of almost 1,500 hours from the start of the year. The masterbrand will unite UKTV's family of free-to-air channels becoming U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&YESTERDAY and U&W. Its free streaming service will transition from UKTV Play to U.
| |
About BBC Studios
BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group with sales of £2.1 billion (2021/22: £1,630 million). Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the Global Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes content globally and Global Media & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. Around 2,500 hours of award-winning British programmes are made by the business every year, with over 80% of total BBC Studios revenues coming from non-BBC customers including Discovery, Apple and Netflix. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who. BBC.com is BBC Studios' global digital news platform, offering up-to-the-minute international news, in-depth analysis and features.
BBC Studios | Website | Press Office | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram |