It has been reported that the BBC is developing a "spiritual successor" to Peaky Blinders, which will explore the history of Soho's criminal underworld in the early 20th century.
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Deadline has reported that the series, Dope Girls, will be made up of six episodes, will be produced by Bad Wolf Productions (His Dark Materials, Doctor Who), and will be based on the non-fiction book by Marek Kohn, Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground.
The publication reports that the adaptation is being written by Polly Stenham (The Neon Demon) and Alex Warren (Eleanor), and will follow the creation of the nightclub scene in Soho, mixing factual elements with fictional characters and storylines.
It will reportedly be partly based on the true story of Kate Meyrick, a 42-year old single mother who built a nightclub empire and criminal enterprise, and Brilliant Chang, the baron of Soho’s underworld.
The cast of His Dark Materials season 3. HBO
Deadline says that filming will begin this year, with Xiao Tang and Matthew James Morgan acting as additional writers and casting to be announced at a later date. Bad Wolf is reportedly in early stage discussions with US co-production partners and global streaming services.
Peaky Blinders, which was a huge hit for the BBC, came to an end last year with its sixth season. A movie follow-up is currently in the works, with creator Steven Knight saying last year that the script is "almost there".
He added: "We've got the shooting schedule, we've got the dates for when we start, so that's all going to happen."
Bad Wolf Productions is also currently working on The Winter King, a new Arthurian series based on The Warlord Chronicles for ITVX.
It has also recently become a co-producer on Doctor Who following the return of Russell T Davies to his previous role as the long-running sci-fi series's showrunner.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
