The six-part series is a co-commission with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television and produced by Fable Pictures, in association with Alfresco Pictures

UKTV joins forces with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television for a co-commission of a new period drama Chocolate Wars (w/t – 6x60’), produced by Fable Pictures, in association with Alfresco Pictures, and written by Chloë Mi Lin Ewart (Curfew, All Creatures Great and Small, Beyond Paradise). The series will launch on free-streaming service U in 2027.

Casting is now underway, with filming in Birmingham set to begin this Summer. Sony Pictures Television will handle worldwide sales as international distributor, with Creative UK providing regional support through the ERDF funded West Midlands Production Fund.

Chocolate Wars is a warm-hearted family drama following the visionary Cadbury family, the underdogs of the cocoa world, on their journey towards creating the world-famous Cadbury’s chocolate bar.

In 1860s Birmingham, when chocolate as we know it doesn’t yet exist, two very different brothers, Richard and George Cadbury, find themselves in charge of their family’s failing cocoa business. Between them, they have the radical genius and burning ambition to turn Cadbury's into one of the world’s most beloved confectioners. But first, they must learn to trust and rely on each other. And to stop bickering for long enough to actually invent some chocolate! Their sister Maria 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, and is forced to question where her true loyalties really lie. Infused with historical delights and magical invention, Chocolate Wars is about how we build, break and rebuild the bonds of family - and how the sweetest things in life are rarely simple.

Chocolate Wars 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 Girls Guide to Murder, Ludwig, Dalgleish), with Hannah Farrell from Fable Pictures as series producer. Chloë Mi Lin Ewart leads the writing team, alongside Eve Hedderwick Turner and Karim Khan.

Helen Perry said: “Chocolate Wars is a delicious concoction of period family saga, blended with true story and a dash of Wonka-esque magic. We know audiences are in for a treat and we’re grateful to Fable Pictures for bringing to life this irresistible feel-good drama and to Chloë Mi Lin Ewart for realising the Cadbury’s story with such invention. We look forward to joining forces with BritBox and Sony to offer this undeniably joyous tale to viewers.”

Emma Tibbetts added: "I can’t wait to unwrap the story of the Cadbury family and for viewers to be captivated by the delicious tale of the underdogs in the cocoa world. The series is a perfect fit for our audience.”

Faye Ward and Hannah Farrell commented: “Chocolate Wars captures the kind of storytelling we love at Fable, epic human dramas about outsiders, dreamers and visionaries who reshape the world around them”

Jess O’Riordan, commissioning executive and executive producer, BritBox said: “Full of warmth and charm, this true story brings the Cadbury family story to life with depth and imagination. We’re excited to partner with UKTV, Sony Pictures Television and Fable Pictures on a period drama we know BritBox audiences will truly savour.”

As global distributor, Sony Pictures Television will introduce Chocolate Wars to international clients at the studio’s 2026 L.A. Screenings Showcase. The annual event, which takes place at the historic Sony Pictures Lot in Culver City, Los Angeles, is happening this Sunday, May 17th.

Chocolate Wars (w/t) is as brand-new U&Original commission and will launch on free-streaming service, U, 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 to U&Alibi this Summer.

For more information, please contact:

Kelly Phelps, Communications Manager - Scripted, UKTV

Notes for Editors:

Image available here

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.

U is available online at u.co.uk and via the U app on mobile devices and tablets, as well as on smart TVs and streaming platforms including Freeview Play, Freely, Amazon Fire TV, YouView, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Freesat, Sky Glass, Sky Stream, NOW and Roku. Thousands of hours of selected U content are also available on Channel 4’s streaming service.

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.

U is the streaming home for UKTV’s channel brands and their on-demand catalogue in the UK.

About U&DRAMA
Sky 143, Virgin Media 130, Freeview 20, Freesat 158, Freely 20

+1 Sky 243, Virgin Media 226, Freeview, 60

On demand on Sky, Virgin Media, U & U on Channel 4

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.

UKTV’s pay TV brands - U&GOLD and U&alibi - are available in the UK via Sky, Virgin Media and NOW. In Ireland, UKTV's channels are available via Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW.

UKTV is a significant investor in British creativity, commissioning original content and working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers across genres.

UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK’s most-awarded production company and commercial subsidiary of the BBC.

corporate.uktv.co.uk | press.uktv.co.uk | @uktvpress | @uktv

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 britbox.com, or find the BritBox app on most mobile and connected TV devices.