Bernardine Evaristo's novel is coming to screens 11 years after it was first published.
It's been 11 years since Bernardine Evaristo's novel Mr Loverman was first published, and now a series adaptation is arriving on BBC One.
However, it turns out that when the novel was first published, Evaristo was told the story, about a 74-year-old Antiguan-born resident of Hackney who has been cheating on his wife with his male best friend and soulmate for decades, was too "niche" to find an audience on screen.
Speaking with BBC News, Evaristo said she always "believed that the work would transfer to the screen", and that it wasn't "an issue" for her.
"It was maybe an issue for other people who didn't think, perhaps, that there'd be a market for it," she said. "Somebody said to me it was 'triple niche', because he was Black, old and gay."
Evaristo continued: "They wouldn't say that now... but times have changed. We are so much more inclusive, so much more progressive, and long may it last."
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The series stars Lennie James, Sharon D Clarke, Ariyon Bakare, Tamara Lawrance, Sharlene Whyte and Tahj Miles, alongside a host of supporting cast members.
Speaking with RadioTimes.com, James recently said that one of the things he loves about the story is that "it's not a 'no Blacks, no Irish, no dogs' story, which has become an archetype of the stories that we've told through generations, mostly because it's one that is perceived to be something that's understandable to the wider community".
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He continued: "There is now the possibility to write stories that can only have come from our community, talking about our community from people from within our community, without the gatekeepers going, 'You have to make it so that I can understand it.'
"And I think that's one of the things that Mr Loverman is, one of the things that I May Destroy You was, and there are other examples of it, but not nearly enough."
All episodes of Mr Loverman will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Monday 14th October. The first two episodes will air on BBC One at 9pm that evening, with episodes continuing to air weekly.
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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.
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