Starz Acquires Dark Sky Studios Comedy 'Sweetpea' for a 2024 Debut

As the old saying goes, it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Such is the basic premise at the heart of the forthcoming dark comedy Sweetpea, Starz’s latest British acquisition set to air in America later in 2024. 

Based on C.J. Skuse’s’ novel of the same name, Sweetpea is part of the growing trend of stories about complex female antiheroes who are just as capable of committing dark acts as their male counterparts. Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets) stars as Rhiannon, a quiet wallflower constantly overlooked by almost everyone around her. Struggling at work, dating a boyfriend who won’t commit, and dealing with a sick parent, nothing about her life seems like it’s going right.

But after the unthinkable occurs, Rhiannon quickly discovers the liberating and intoxicating power that goes along with murder and finally begins to come into her own.

“We’re excited to partner again with Ella Purnell and Sky Studios on such a fresh, boundary-breaking story,” said Alison Hoffman, Starz President of Domestic Networks. “This darkly comedic tale of revenge is sure to thrill viewers, as is Ella’s performance as a woman who finds her voice and claims her agency in ways that are devious and shocking.”

Sweetpea was originally published in 2017 and was followed by multiple sequels: In Bloom, Dead Hand, and Thorn In My Side, with the fifth installment (The Bad Seeds) due to arrive in the Fall of 2024. So, should this first season be a success, there’s plenty of material for future installments as Rhiannon deals with everything from family drama to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Here's the series' description. 

Rhiannon Lewis doesn’t make much of an impression. People walk past her in the street without a second glance. She’s continually overlooked for a promotion at work, the guy she likes won’t commit, and her dad is really, really sick. Then everything in her life turns upside down. Rhiannon is pushed over the edge and loses control. Suddenly the wallflower is gone, and in its place is a young woman capable of anything… Rhiannon’s life transforms as she steps into a new, intoxicating power, but can she keep her killer secret?”

Alongside Purnell, the series stars Nicole Lecky (Mood) as Julia, Jon Pointing (Queenie) as Craig, Calam Lynch (Archie) as AJ, and Leah Harvey (A Gentleman in Moscow) as Marina. Other cast members include Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso) as Norman and Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses) as Jeff.

Sweatpea is adapted for television by Kirstie Swain (Pure), alongside Krissie Ducker (Killing Eve), Laura Jayne Tunbridge, and Selina Lim (Sex Education), with Ella Jones (Back To Life) directing. 

Purnell, Swain, and Jones also serve as executive producers, alongside Manpreet Dosanjh for Sky Studios and Helen Gregory, Iain Canning, and Emile Sherman for See-Saw Films. Zornana Piggot is the series producer. 

Sweetpea is set to premiere on Starz in 2024.