BBC announces new factual drama about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's story
The series will be based on an upcoming book by the author and her husband.
The story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is to be made the subject of a four-part BBC One drama, the broadcaster announced today.
The author, who has both British and Iranian citizenship, was detained in Iran for a period of six years, with the country's authorities accusing her of spying and, later, of producing propaganda. She denies both accusations.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, Richard, has proposed that his wife's imprisonment was actually connected to debt owed by the UK to Iran.
The debt was ultimately repaid after her release in March 2022, but both the UK and Iranian governments insisted that the two disputes were unrelated.
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Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband's experiences during their heartbreaking and traumatic time apart will be detailed in an upcoming book, titled A Yard of Sky, on which this BBC drama will also be based.
A BBC spokesperson said: "Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe’s extraordinary experiences captured everyone’s hearts; their journey is one of despair, courage and hope, spanning two countries and six years, and ultimately, it’s a story of how this family, who were forced apart by international events, were finally reunited."
The series will be produced by Dancing Ledge Productions, the company behind fellow factual drama The Salisbury Poisonings, but no writer, director or cast have yet been announced.
We do know that the series will focus on the six years between Zaghari-Ratcliffe's initial arrest in Tehran and her eventual return to the UK.
At a press conference upon her arrival home, she said: "I have seen five foreign secretaries change over the course of six years. How many foreign secretaries does it take for someone to come home?"
Zaghari-Ratcliffe added: "It should have happened exactly six years ago."
A Yard of Sky: A Story of Love, Resistance and Hope is scheduled for release in autumn of this year, published by Chatto & Windus, an imprint of Penguin Books.
The synopsis reads: "When a man suddenly appeared and marched Nazanin away, they couldn't know their family was about to be changed forever.
"That moment would test their love, confront five foreign secretaries and take an ordinary family behind the curtain of international hostage diplomacy and secret debts. Their story galvanised a campaign of hope for millions, which would eventually free Nazanin and bring her home."
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
