BBC orders epic new family drama from ‘A Very English Scandal’ writer

A Very English Scandal writer Russell T Davies will return to BBC One next year with an “epic” new drama.

Years And Years will follows the lives of a single family over 15 years in a Britain rocked by unstable political, economic and technological advances.

Writer Russell T Davies commented: “I’ve wanted to write this for 20 years or so. And as the world accelerates like crazy around us, I realised I’d better get on with it!”

Executive producer Nicola Shindler added: “The script is fantastic, and taps into the anxieties of the climate we are currently living in, speculating how the dynamics of cultural and political change affects our lives – and the lives of our families. What Russell does so expertly is navigate a potentially dark and fearful story into a compelling drama that is full of wit, warmth and hope, with family at the heart of the show. I can’t wait to get started.”

Starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal concluded on BBC One last weekend and has been acclaimed by critics and viewers alike.

The official synopsis for Years And Years reads: “[The series] follows the Lyons, a busy Manchester family. Daniel’s getting married to Ralph, Stephen and Celeste worry about their kids, Rosie’s chasing a new fella and Edith hasn’t been home for years. Presiding over them all is Gran, the imperial Muriel. But when their lives all converge on one crucial night in 2019, the story accelerates into the future, following the lives and loves of the Lyons over the next 15 years.

“And what a world! Everything we fear, and everything we hope for, is happening around this tight-knit family. Society is hotter, faster, madder, with the turmoil of politics, technology and distant wars affecting the Lyons in their day-to-day lives. Britain withdraws from Europe, America becomes a lone wolf, China asserts itself, and a new world begins to form.

“But someone’s taking advantage: MP Vivienne Rook begins her rise to power, one of that new breed of politician – an entertainer, a rebel, a trickster and a terror, leading them into an unknown future. Set against this, the Lyons have to navigate their everyday hopes and fears, knowing that one ordinary family could never change the world… or could they?”

The six 60-minute episodes will begin filming later this year.