Hot Picks: Life After Life

Those familiar with Kate Atkinson’s novel, set in the turbulent first half of the 20^th century, will appreciate the scale of the job writer Bash Doran (Traitors) faced in adapting her time-travel tale.

Caroline Stone, director of independent drama at BBC Studios, says it is one of the distributor’s “most ambitious dramas in terms of scale, casting and cinematography”, and she expects interest on a global scale, comparable with previous BBC adaptations Sherlock and The Pursuit of Love.

“The acclaimed book is well known by readers across the world, so there is already a lot of anticipation for this adaptation to reach our screens,” she adds.

Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 and the two world wars, Life After Life follows Ursula Todd, played by Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night In Soho; Jojo Rabbit), whose life takes on many different paths as she dies and is reborn again in a repeating loop.

The four-part adaptation hails from BBC Studios-owned House Productions. As the producer of the Emmy-nominated Brexit – An Uncivil War, House is used to handling weighty topics and material.

Bafta-winning John Crowley (Boy A; Brooklyn) directs, with a stellar cast that also includes Sian Clifford, James McArdle, Jessica Brown Findlay and Jessica Hynes. Ursula lives a number of lives – some happy, some traumatising – and gradually uses memories of her former incarnations to change the course of history.

Stone says the many variations of Ursula’s life make the story accessible to a wide audience, and the ‘Groundhog Day concept’ invites viewers to consider a universal question: ‘What if?’

“What if Ursula didn’t kiss that person, tell that lie, or stood up to that bully? As she plays out her life again and again using hindsight, we find out whether Ursula can learn and grow, or whether new attitudes and actions can only establish new challenges in a world already rife with chaos.”

Despite the added pressures of working under Covid restrictions, Stone says the producers were determined to make the series “as authentic and cinematic as possible”.

She believes the quality of the production and the combined talents and experience of House, Doran and the cast will help it stand out in a competitive marketplace. Consequently, BBCS is targeting traditional public broadcasters – to which it licenses much of its drama – as well as premium SVoD services.

“As a piece of distinctive storytelling, it could work on any platform and would be a highlight in most buyers’ schedules,” Stone adds. She believes the BBC’s reputation for commissioning and packaging dramas will ensure that BBCS continues to have a pipeline of attractive titles for the international market.

“It’s very exciting for the UK creative industry to have more channels and platforms that are looking to commission drama, but no matter how many new players emerge, I believe there will always be a desire from producers to develop for the BBC,” she says.