When George Osbourne said he thought Game of Thrones was “just brilliantly written and acted” and that the BBC need to accommodate for the “box-set” generation, the corporation, it seems, really took it to heart.
Upcoming series Troy: Fall Of A City, an epic re-telling of the 10 year siege of the Trojan War, is just part of their plan to get on the Chancellor's good side. Set to rival the HBO fantasy series, Troy has been described as a “bold and visceral drama” unlike anything we’ve seen before on BBC1.
'Intimate and epic, gripping and exhilarating, rich with psychological intrigue and human drama, we will feel the characters' passions, pain and loss,’ said BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore.
The BBC are hoping their series Troy will rival Game of Thrones
According to reports, the series has a budget of £2 million an episode, placing it among the most expensive shows the corporation has ever produced.
Along with their Troy announcement, the BBC confirmed the casting for the Russell T Davies adaption of Midsummer Nights Dream, with Maxine Peake as Titania, Matt Lucas as Bottom and Elaine Paige as Mistress Quince.
Addressing criticisms that the BBC’s programming was following the trends of other channels from culture secretary John Wittingdale, Moore said: I” want to make three promises. BBC1 will be defined in the coming years by its commitment to risk-taking. I will guarantee investment in innovation. And I will challenge every new commission to break the mould.”
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Associate director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, David Farr, will be writing the Troy series which could span across eight or more episodes.
Also announced was an upcoming sitcom season and a six-part adaption of The Cormoran Strike Mysteries, an adaption of JK Rowling’s detective novels written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
