The six-part series will launch on free-streaming service U in 2027.
A set of first look images have been released for The Cadburys (6x60’), the upcoming six-part series that tells the story of the Cadbury family, with Toby Regbo, Harry Gilby, Jessica Barden and Pearce Quigley starring as Richard, George, Maria and John. Filming recently concluded in Birmingham, with the series set to launch on free-streaming service in 2027.
(Top L-R) Harry Gilby as George Cadbury, Toby Regbo as Richard Cadbury, Poppy Gilbert as Elizabeth Adlington, Joanna Scanlan as Dorothy Adlington, Jessica Barden as Maria Cadbury and Mathew Baynton as Joseph Rowntree
The first look images offer a glimpse at the Cadbury family in 1860s Birmingham, from George’s obsession to create the first solid eating cocoa, to the romance between Richard and Elizabeth Adlington (Poppy Gilbert) and the irresistible attraction between Maria and Francis Fry (Ben Hardy). The images released also provide a first look at John Cadbury, Elizabeth’s mother, Dorothy (Joanna Scanlan), and fellow-inventor, Joseph Rowntree (Mathew Baynton).
(Top L-R) Ben Hardy as Francis Fry, Jessica Barden as Maria Cadbury, Toby Regbo as Richard Cadbury, Harry Gilby as George Cadbury, Jessica Barden as Maria Cadbury, Harry Gilby as George Cadbury, Toby Regbo as Richard Cadbury and Poppy Gilbert as Elizabeth Adlington
The Cadburys (previously announced under the working title of Chocolate Wars) is a UKTV commission with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television, produced by Fable Pictures, in association with Alfresco Pictures, and written by Chloë Mi Lin Ewart (Curfew, All Creatures Great and Small, Beyond Paradise). Sony Pictures Television will handle worldwide sales as international distributor, with Creative UK providing regional support through the ERDF funded West Midlands Production Fund.
The first-look images will also be unveiled by Mayor Richard Parker on 8th October as part of the West Midlands Growth Summit.The Cadburys exemplifies the West Midlands' ambitions to grow and develop the regional creative industries sector, having been recognised as the country's newest screen production hub earlier this year. The Mayor recently visited The Cadburys set during filming, and saw first-hand how top-level production comes together to tell the story of the visionary Cadbury family, the underdogs of the cocoa world, on their journey towards creating the world-famous Cadbury’s chocolate bar.
Pearce Quigley as John Cadbury
In 1860s Birmingham, when chocolate as we know it doesn’t yet exist, two very different brothers, Richard (Regbo) and George Cadbury (Gilby), find themselves in charge of their family’s failing cocoa business. Together, they have the radical genius and burning ambition to turn Cadbury into one of the world’s most beloved confectioners – if they can only learn to trust and rely on each other. Their sister Maria (Barden) is navigating her own role within the family and the business, but things become even more complicated when she falls in love with Cadbury’s biggest rival, Francis Fry (Hardy) and is forced to question where her true loyalties really lie. Infused with historical delights and magical invention, The Cadburys is about how we build, break and rebuild the bonds of family - and how the sweetest things in life are rarely simple.
Helen Perry, head of drama commissioning at UKTV, said: "We're excited to reveal the first-look images from The Cadburys, a brilliant new feel-good drama inspired by one of Birmingham's most iconic stories. The series showcases the exceptional creative talent, locations and production expertise found across the West Midlands, while bringing a story with deep roots in the region to audiences across the UK and beyond. We're proud to be working with our partners to bring this major new drama to screen and champion the West Midlands as a centre for world-class television production."
The Cadburys has been commissioned by Helen Perry, head of drama commissioning at UKTV, and ordered by Emma Tibbetts, director of scripted programming, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. The series is produced by Fable Pictures in association with Alfresco Pictures and executive produced by Faye Ward, Freddie Highmore, Hannah Price and Claire Londy with Helen Perry for UKTV and Jess O’Riordan and Jon Farrar for BritBox. Directors for the series will be Tom McKay (After the Flood, Ten Pound Poms, There She Goes) and Jill Robertson (The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Ludwig, Dalgleish) with Hannah Farrell, co-creative director from Fable Pictures as series producer and Jo Farrugia as casting director. Chloë Mi Lin Ewart leads the writing team, alongside Eve Hedderwick Turner and Karim Khan.
Sony Pictures Television will introduce global clients to The Cadburys as part of the studio's 2026 MIPCOM slate. Fable Pictures is a SPT-backed company.
The Cadburys is a brand-new U&Original commission and will launch on free-streaming service, , in 2027. The series will also be available on free-to-air channel, U&DRAMA. The commission sits alongside hit dramas for U including Bergerac, starring Damien Molony and written by Toby Whithouse, Outrageous, telling the true story of the Mitford sisters with Bessie Carter and Joanna Vanderham, as well as The Marlow Murder Club, starring Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew. Bookish, created, written by and starring Mark Gatiss, will also return for a Christmas Special this December.
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Phelps, Communications Manager - Scripted, UKTV
Shannon Bulmer, Publicist – Scripted, UKTV
Notes for Editors:
- Images available HERE
- Image credit: ©UKTV / BritBox / Sony
- The Cadburys was initially announced under the working title ofChocolate Wars
- The Cadburys is inspired by Deborah Cadbury’s book, Chocolate Wars
About U
U is UKTV’s free streaming service in the UK, offering on-demand access to programmes from UKTV’s free-to-air channels: U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY and U&eden.
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U provides access to over 9,000 hours of programming, including exclusive original commissions, UK premieres and iconic BBC titles across drama, comedy, entertainment and factual entertainment. It was nominated for Best Streaming Service at the 2025 Edinburgh Television Festival Awards.
Programmes available on U include Bergerac, Whitstable Pearl, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Marlow Murder Club, Outrageous, The Bill, Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, Guy Martin: Proper Jobs, Bangers & Cash, Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake and MasterChef Australia.
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About U&DRAMA
Sky 143, Virgin Media 130, Freeview 20, Freesat 158, Freely 20
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Free-to-air channel U&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. Shows from U&DRAMA can be watched for free in the UK on UKTV’s free streaming service, U (u.co.uk).
With programmes including familiar favourites Call the Midwife, The Bill, Sister Boniface Mysteries, Chelsea Detective and Whitstable Pearl, and brand new hits such as Harry Wild and Art Detectives, 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 a wealth of U&Originals. These include the TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s hit novel The Marlow Murder Club, starring Samantha Bond as no-nonsense, crossword-setter and wild-swimmer, Judith Potts, alongside Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew, and the true story of the Mitford sisters brings the 1930s to life on screen in Outrageous, starring Bessie Carter, Joanna Vanderham, Anna Chancellor and James Purefoy. The re-imagined series of the iconic Bergerac, starring Damien Molony and Zoë Wanamaker, became the highest rating show on the network in 2025 and received a nomination for Programme of the Year (Non-PSB) at the Broadcast Digital Awards, with the series recently returning.
ABOUT UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of British television for over 30 years, with programmes spanning comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, available across its channel portfolio and its free streaming service, U (u.co.uk).
Shows from UKTV’s free‑to‑air channels - U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY and U&eden - can be watched free in the UK on U, and via Freeview, Freesat, Freely, Sky and Virgin Media, with on‑demand access to thousands of hours of original commissions, acquisitions and archive titles. UKTV also operates dedicated FAST channels in the UK on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Prime, Pluto TV and Virgin Media.
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ABOUT FABLE PICTURES
Fable Pictures, established in 2016 with Sony Pictures Television's backing, is a multi-award-winning film and television production company primarily focused on female-driven stories.
On television, Fable produced MR LOVERMAN for BBC One and Britbox, released to critical acclaim in 2024. Adapted from the novel by Bernardine Evaristo, written by Nathaniel Price, directed by Hong Khaou and starring Lennie James, Sharon D Clarke, and Ariyon Bakare, it won two BAFTAs for the cast and was nominated for a Peabody Award, a GLAAD Media Award and an Independent Spirit Award. Other productions include two seasons of CH4 comedy series HULLRAISERS, starring Leah Brotherhead, Taj Atwal and Sinead Matthews, and ANNE BOLEYN starring Jodie Turner-Smith for Channel 5.
The company’s theatrical feature films include the BAFTA and BIFA winning ROCKS, directed by Sarah Gavron; STAN & OLLIE, starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly, and WILD ROSE, starring Academy Award winner Jessie Buckley and Academy Award nominee Julie Walters. The last of these was adapted into a stage musical, premiering at the Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre in 2025 and due to open in New York later this year.
About BritBox
BritBox is the leading streaming destination for the best of British television, offering an unmatched collection of expertly curated entertainment. From critically acclaimed dramas and mysteries to comedies, documentaries, and lifestyle programming, BritBox invites audiences to step out of their everyday and into a world of exceptional British storytelling. Launched in 2017 and now owned by BBC Studios, BritBox is available in the US, Canada, Australia, and the Nordics. For more, visit , or find the BritBox app on most mobile and connected TV devices.