David Tennant Confirmed For New BBC Drama Spies Of Warsaw



The BBC Media centre have confirmed that David's latest BBC Drama project is Spies Of Warsaw.
In a press statement released today they say:
ARTE France is the latest broadcaster to sign a coproduction deal with BBC Worldwide for Spies of Warsaw (2 x 90’), a two part historical spy drama adapted by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais from Alan Furst’s acclaimed novels.
David Tennant (Doctor Who, Hamlet, Casanova, Fright Night) has been confirmed as the lead in this exciting new production. David will play Mercier and star alongside Janet Montgomery (Black Swan, Merlin) in the role of Anna. The impressive supporting cast includes Ann Eleonora Jørgensen (The Killing), Anton Lesser (The Hour), Burn Gorman (Torchwood, Lark Rise to Candleford), Tuppence Middleton (New Tricks, Sinbad) and Julian Harries (EastEnders) amongst many others.
ARTE is the second broadcaster to invest in the ambitious new drama from Fresh Pictures. It was confirmed last month that Poland’s national broadcaster, TVP (Polish Television), would also be a co-producer on the BBC Four commissioned miniseries.
This is the second drama co-production between BBC Worldwide and ARTE France. Last year BBC Worldwide announced that the digital channel had invested in Sir Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of Parade’s End.
Judith Louis, Director of Fiction at ARTE France said: “Our collaboration on this historical, entertaining and elegant espionage series further illustrates how ARTE France and BBC Worldwide share the same vision when it comes to drama.”
Ben Donald, Executive Producer for International Drama at BBC Worldwide, said: “We have big ambitions for Spies of Warsaw and for making it the beginning of a run of adaptations of Alan Furst’s novels and it is fantastic to have ARTE on board at the start. With the story taking place in Poland, France and Germany the adaptation offers some really interesting casting opportunities.
“Along withParade’s End we now have two major collaborations with ARTE France and definitely aspire to develop this partnership further with more ambitious dramas.”
Richard Fell, Executive Producer and Head of Drama, Fresh Pictures, commented on the cast: “We are thrilled and delighted that David and Janet are going to be in Spies of Warsaw. They are both actors of such great range and quality they will light up the screen as the star crossed lovers Jean Francois and Anna.”
The two 90-minute film adaptations of Furst’s acclaimed novels will bring a combination of historically located, intelligent narratives, interlaced with flawed, romantic and utterly compelling characters. Furst, widely recognised as the current master of the historical spy novel, evokes a Europe stumbling into a Second World War, his taut and richly atmospheric thrillers grace the bestseller lists right around the globe. They have been described as “Casablanca meets John le Carre”. Coky Giedroyc, whose previous credits include Sherlock and The Hour, will direct with filming beginning in Poland next month.
Spies of Warsaw, executive produced by Richard Fell, is Fresh Pictures first drama commission.
The deal with TVP was brokered by BBC Worldwide and Apple Film Production in Poland. Apple Film Production, led by Dariusz Jabłoński , will act as the Polish co-producer on the series for TVP.
Spies of Warsaw is a Fresh Pictures production co produced by Apple Film Production for BBC Four and TVP in association with ARTE France and BBC Worldwide.

In March BBC Media Centre reported that BBC Worldwide had agreed its first ever co-production deal with TVP in Poland for Spies Of Warsaw:
The ambitious new drama from Fresh Pictures for BBC Four will soon be appearing on Poland’s national broadcaster, Polish Television (TVP), later this year.
TVP has previously bought a range of finished programming from BBC Worldwide including Married Single Other, Waking the Dead and Survivors.
Piotr Derewenda, TVP’s producer and editor, said:
“We are very pleased to enter into this new co-production partnership with such a prestigious company as BBC Worldwide. Furst’s thrilling story creates a unique opportunity for us to chart Poland’s fascinating history from a more European perspective and provides the perfect backdrop for the thrilling tale of great love, friendship and betrayal.
“We are also delighted that Coky Giedroyc, the director of such popular series like Sherlockand The Virgin Queen, will be joining the production. With her extraordinary talent and the potential for some outstanding actors, we believe Spies of Warsaw will be a big hit with international audiences.”
Ben Donald, Executive Producer for International Drama at BBC Worldwide, said:
“Fresh Pictures’ first drama, Spies in Warsaw, is a captivating adaptation of the best-selling spy novels. The story takes place in Poland, France and Italy which lends itself perfectly to international co-productions such as this latest deal with TVP.
“The adaptation also offers excellent casting opportunities for talent from around the world as the story spans various countries across Europe. I am also delighted that we are able to bring this production to Poland where there is not only an excellent infrastructure in place and production expertise but also a strong tradition of film-making.”
Richard Fell, Head of Drama at Fresh Pictures said:
'Working with BBCWW and TVP on 'Spies of Warsaw', has given us the opportunity to shoot Dick & Ian's wonderful script in Poland. It is a remarkable and beautiful country, and incredibly exciting to work in the range of authentic and rarely seen locations.'
Spies of Warsaw is arguably Furst’s most well-known novel. Spanning the decade from 1933 to 1943, Furst’s stories are portraits of subjugated peoples who try to resist the suffocating inevitability of Hitler’s regime.
The characters roam the foggy nights and steal across the rainy, cobbled streets of Prague, Berlin, Warsaw, Rome, and Paris. Furst's protagonists join the ranks of the Resistance in one way or another. They include faded nobility, b-movie filmmakers, newspapermen, ship's captains and compromised businessmen as well as waiters, shopkeepers, jaded intellectuals, tarnished grand dames, and boozy British secret agents. Together they march in the underground army that seeks to fight back against the Nazi occupiers.
Coky Giedroyc, whose previous credits include Sherlock and The Hour, will direct the new production.
Spies of Warsaw is a Fresh Pictures production, executive produced by Richard Fell for Fresh Pictures, and is the Indie’s first drama commission.
The deal with TVP has been brokered by BBC Worldwide and Apple Film Production in Poland. Apple Film Production led by Dariusz Jabłoński will act as the Polish co-producer on the series for TVP

And a previous release from the BBC Media Centre published in October last year says:
BBC Four Controller, Richard Klein announced The Spies Of Warsaw adapted by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais for BBC Four from Fresh Pictures.
Two 90-minute film adaptations of Alan Furst's acclaimed novels will bring to BBC Four a combination of historically located, intelligent narratives, interlaced with flawed, romantic and utterly compelling characters. Furst, widely recognised as the current master of the historical spy novel, evokes a Europe stumbling into a Second World War, his taut and richly atmospheric thrillers grace the bestseller lists right around the globe. They have been described as "Casablanca meets John le Carre".
Richard Klein, Controller, BBC Four, says: "Alan Furst is one of the world's finest writers on war and the costs of war on human relationships. It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that BBC Four will be dramatising for television one of his best known novels, Spies Of Warsaw. Furst and Four are a very good fit and I hope our audiences will enjoy the result of this collaboration."
The characters of Alan Furst's best-selling spy novels roam the foggy nights and steal across the rainy, cobbled streets of Prague, Berlin, Warsaw, Rome, and Paris. Furst's protagonists join the ranks of the Resistance in one way or another. They include faded nobility, b-movie filmmakers, newspapermen, ship's captains and compromised businessmen as well as waiters, shopkeepers, jaded intellectuals, tarnished grand dames, and boozy British secret agents. Together they march in the underground army that seeks to fight back against the Nazi occupiers.
Spanning the decade from 1933 to 1943, as the Germans slowly consolidate their political stranglehold on Europe, Furst's stories are portraits of subjugated peoples who try to resist the suffocating inevitability of Hitler's regime. They show the potency and the importance of espionage and pure intelligence in the run up to the war. Furst captures the history as well as the humanity.
Richard Fell, Head of Drama, Fresh Pictures, says: "Dick and Ian's scripts have brilliantly caught the extraordinary atmosphere of Alan Furst's books. The films will bring to life these compelling thrillers set against the impending disaster of the Second World War."
Commissioned by Richard Klein, Controller, BBC Four and Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning. This is a Fresh Pictures production, executive produced by Richard Fell for Fresh Pictures and Jamie Laurenson for the BBC.

Comments

  1. This is such a bad idea and I'm a serious DT & AF fan.

    Read the books, eh?
    The Spies of Warsaw is Alan Furst's 10th book - he's been writing amazing espionage fiction since 1988 (The Polish Officer).
    Hope this link works:
    http://alanfurst.net/index.htm

    Not trying to be a pain or anything but anybody much under 50 looks wrong for drama of that period. Compare and contrast Upstairs, Downstairs (original 1975 version) and the current version.

    More soundtrack used now on wartime dramas - go watch 'Secret Army'(1977-79) or 'Colditz'(1972-74) if you don't believe me; Too many tunes and you're catapulted out of your suspended reality.

    What was Alan Furst thinking of, letting people futz around with his work?
    I hope I'm wrong and I'll be the first to eat a large helping of crow if I am.
    And yes, I'm 51.

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