Patrick Holland announces ambitious new titles for BBC Two

• New drama series MotherFatherSon from acclaimed author and screenwriter Tom Rob Smith and new dramatisation of the Man Booker prize winning The Luminaries from its author, Eleanor Catton
• New comedy series, White Gold, from Damon Beesley, creator of The Inbetweeners
• New topical comedy news show, Common Sense
• New mock-documentary Nigel Farage Gets His Life Back follows the day-to-day reality of being Nigel Farage starring Kevin Bishop
• Behind the scenes of the Brexit campaign from BAFTA award-winning film-maker Patrick Forbes
• New factual format, Second Chance Summer, from the makers of The Real Marigold Hotel
• Andrew Marr explores Scotland's political transformation during the historic events of the last few years in a new two-part series

Patrick Holland says: “I am delighted to announce such brilliant range of new titles for BBC Two. In Tom Rob Smith and Eleanor Catton we have two of the most original and exciting writers in World Fiction authoring breathtaking drama for the BBC Two audience. I’m also thrilled that the fantastic Damon Beesley is bringing his warm, funny and engaging new comedy, White Gold, to the channel, with a hugely talented cast.

"Elsewhere, we’re launching two new ambitious formats, Second Chance Summer and Common Sense and going behind the scenes of the campaign that has changed Britain for ever with Patrick Forbes’ film on Brexit.

"I want BBC Two to be the place where the best creative talents can make their most original and exciting work, where authorship flourishes. I want it to be a channel alive with ideas and challenging points of view.”

Drama

MotherFatherSon

BBC Two has commissioned MotherFatherSon, a brand new eight-part drama series from best-selling author and screenwriter Tom Rob Smith (Child 44, The Farm, London Spy).

A political and psychological thriller, MotherFatherSon sits at the intersections of police, politics and the press, as much a family saga as it is a savage, unflinching study of power and how even the mightiest of empires can be in peril when a family turns on each other.

MotherFatherSon is an 8x60’ series set in London and produced by BBC Studios for BBC Two. Award-winning producer Alan Poul (Newsroom, Six Feet Under) is attached to produce and the series will be executive produced by writer Tom Rob Smith, Hilary Salmon for BBC Studios and Stephen Wright for BBC Two. It will shoot next year primarily in London and transmit on BBC Two in 2018.

The Luminaries

BBC Two has commissioned Working Title Television to produce The Luminaries, a six-part drama series which will be written by its award-winning novelist, Eleanor Catton. A nineteenth-century tale of adventure and mystery, set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island in the boom years of the 1860s gold rush, The Luminaries tells an epic story of love, murder and revenge, as men and women travelled across the world to make their fortunes.

On publishing, The Luminaries was met with worldwide critical acclaim. Most notably, it won the 2013 Man Booker Prize, with Eleanor Catton being its youngest ever recipient.

The story follows defiant young adventurer Anna Wetherell, who has sailed from Britain to New Zealand to begin a new life. There she meets the radiant Emery Staines, an encounter that triggers a strange kind of magic that neither can explain. As they fall in love, driven together and apart by fateful coincidence, these star-crossed lovers begin to wonder: do we make our fortunes, or do our fortunes make us?

The story begins in 1865 in a wild landscape, where fortunes are made, lives easily lost, and justice is rough and ready. Luminous Anna must survive this dangerous world, where shipwreck and murder, blackmail and betrayal, greed, gold and false imprisonment all conspire to keep her apart from Emery.

The Luminaries’ six hour-long episodes will be produced by Working Title Television (an NBCUniversal International Studios company) for BBC Two. The series will be executive produced by Eleanor Catton, Andrew Woodhead, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title Television, and Lucy Richer for the BBC. Filming will begin in 2017, taking place in and around New Zealand.

Comedy

White Gold

BBC Comedy and Fudge Park Productions today announce White Gold, an original six-part comedy series written and directed by the award-winning Damon Beesley (The Inbetweeners series and movies).

White Gold will star Ed Westwick, (Gossip Girl, Son Of Rambow), Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners, Fresh Meat), James Buckley (The Inbetweeners, Rock & Chips) and Lauren O’Rourke (Drifters, This is England 90).

White Gold is the story of a double-glazing showroom in Essex in 1983, led by charismatic salesman Vincent (Ed Westwick). Smart, handsome and cocksure, Vincent will happily break the rules if it guarantees a sale. It’s a story of dodgy shenanigans, scams and petty rivalries - alongside free-flowing drugs, cash and sex.

White Gold will be distributed internationally by BBC Worldwide. It was commissioned by Shane Allen, Controller, Comedy Commissioning, and the executive producers are Caroline Leddy, Iain Morris and Simon Wilson and the producer is Phil Gilbert. It is set to film in Essex this autumn and will transmit on BBC Two next year.

Common Sense

A weekly round-up of the week’s most talked-about topics and newsworthy events, bought to life by some of the funniest people in Britain.

The topical comedy news show will showcase real people and their real opinions on the week’s topical talking points whilst in conversation with one another in everyday situations - whether at work, on a tea break or relaxing down the pub.

Whether it’s general events from the news or the latest in politics or current happenings in the worlds of sport and popular culture, Common Sense will bring genuine and immediate reactions that collectively highlight the nation’s hilarious and unfiltered take on the biggest talking points that week.

Contributors will talk about any news story, from any news source. Everything from newspapers, radio, magazines, websites and social media threads will be discussed, lampooned and ridiculed.

Commissioned by Shane Allen and Alex Moody, for BBC Comedy Commissioning, Common Sense is a Studio Lambert production for BBC Two. The executive producer is Tania Alexander.

Nigel Farage Gets His Life Back

On 23 June 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union. Then, on 4 July, Nigel Farage, the man who had made it all possible, resigned saying he wanted his life back. But what sort of life has he gone back to, and how does a man forever in the spotlight fill his days now he has nothing to do?

Starring Kevin Bishop as Farage (Porridge, The Rack Pack, We’re Doomed! The Dad’s Army Story), the 30-minute fly-on-the-wall mock-documentary Nigel Farage Gets His Life Back will follow the day-to-day reality of being Nigel Farage.

Nigel Farage Gets His Life Back sees public Nigel, the colourful character that the country has come to know and love/hate. Straight-talking, unencumbered by political correctness, a jovial source of seemingly eternal banter, usually delivered through a haze of cigarette smoke over a few cheeky pints of beer.

The programme also looks at private Nigel, the man behind the facade, at home, eating bangers and mash watching Pointless and insisting that he doesn’t miss the limelight, that he’s much happier out of politics and that he never wanted to be prime minister anyway.

Kevin Bishop says: “I’m delighted to be playing a character as colourful as Farage. He’s a gift to parody and I’m looking forward to bringing previously unseen aspects of his life to the screen.”

Produced by Zeppotron, part of the Endemol Shine group, the comedy special was commissioned for BBC Two by Shane Allen, Controller, comedy commissioning and Alex Moody, commissioning editor. The executive producer is Peter Holmes. The writers are Alan Connor (The Rack Pack, Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, Young Doctor’s Notebook) and Shaun Pye (The Rack Pack, A Young Doctor’s Notebook, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret). It is produced by Kate Daughton.

Factual

Inside the Brexit Campaign

On 20 February 2016, the then Prime Minister David Cameron officially set the date for the British public’s vote on whether to remain a member of the European Union. What followed was months of campaigning, debate, claims, and a political drama fought out in the press which resulted in the resignation of David Cameron and the subsequent Conservative leadership contest.

But what did the British public not witness? During this historic political event BBC Two had exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to document every twist and turn of the Leave campaign and the race for the Conservative leadership that followed. Filmed from the early days until the extraordinary events after the vote the unseen footage lays bare the ambition, passion, strategy and animosity that existed and propelled the Leave campaign.

This is the real story of the campaign for Brexit as told by a host of key people as they lived and breathed it. The programme features a range of senior politicians and campaigners, including Boris Johnson, Iain Duncan Smith, Nigel Farage and Matthew Elliott, as well as Remain campaigners Lord Heseltine, Alan Duncan and Will Straw.

Inside the Brexit Campaign is being made by Oxford Film & Television. The Director is Patrick Forbes and the Producer is Claire Kavanagh. The Executive Producer is Nick Kent and the BBC Commissioning Editor is Gian Quaglieni.

Second Chance Summer

In a heart-warming new format from the makers of The Real Marigold Hotel, 10 strangers are about to experience a summer that could change their lives forever. All are at a crossroads in their lives - and all dream of leaving Britain behind to begin a new life in the sun. For seven weeks they will put their dream to the test in an incredible try-before-you-buy experiment as they move to a beautiful farm in Tuscany.

With its vineyard, olive grove and space for a restaurant, this extraordinary location harbours endless possibilities. Individually, purchasing this farm would be beyond the means of our cast. But if they pool their financial resources and learn to work together, this new life is one that they could share.

Between them, our cast have the skills they need to make this work. There might be a builder, a gardener, gifted cooks and those with experience of running a business.

As the weeks pass, they’ll begin to realise their vision and personal ambitions - from making olive oil or wine to welcoming guests to a B & B. Along the way they’ll rediscover what really matters: from the materialistic businessman who realises there’s more to life than money, to the empty-nester putting herself first for the first time since having kids.

At the end of the seven weeks the group will face a life-changing decision: do they return to Britain or pool their cash to pursue their dreams? No matter what they decide, this will be a formative experience for all involved.

Second Chance Summer is made by TwoFour Productions. It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Acting Head of Commissioning, Documentaries and the Executive Producers are Ana De Moraes and David Clews.

Scotland And The Battle For Britain

Scotsman, broadcaster and former BBC Political Editor Andrew Marr presents this two-part documentary which explores Scotland's political transformation during the historic events of the last few years.

The programmes look at the impact of the Scottish Referendum, the success of the SNP in last year’s General Election and what the Brexit vote means for the future of Scotland.

The documentary will feature interviews with top names in Scottish and British politics, past and present, including the current leader of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon; former SNP leader Alex Salmond; former Prime Minister Tony Blair; former Labour MP Brian Wilson; Alistair Darling MP and Baroness Helen Liddell.

The programme also contains interviews with academics Professor John Curtice and Sir Tom Devine. The two, hour-long programmes will bring viewers a fascinating insight into these significant political events and what they mean for Scotland today and in the future with Andrew exploring the likelihood of a second independence referendum.

Scotland And The Battle For Britain is being made by STV Productions for the BBC, in partnership with The Open University. The Executive Producer is Alan Clements and the Director/Producer is Mark Radice. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Gian Quaglieni.

EDA

* This release was updated on 20 February 2017 to remove references to Border Walks (w/t) which are no longer reflective of the commissioned programme.

Related Media Centre Links

• The Luminaries
• MotherFatherSon
• White Gold