Steven Knight & Sarah Lancashire Team Up For Shakespeare-Focused Drama

It was sometime in 1623, seven years after his passing, that Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies was published for the first time. Commonly referred to in literary circles as "The First Folio," the world-famous collection of plays by William Shakespeare is perhaps the most influential book ever published outside of the Guttenberg Bible. Though there is no exact date of its publishing, historians believe it was run in November, and the 400th anniversary is planned for November 8, 2023. TV projects are also in the works, including a collaboration between Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight and Happy Valley's Sarah Lancashire,

Knight and Lancashire are penning a new period drama series depicting the undertaking that was the First Folio's creation and print run. Production studio Kudos, behind Knight's latest period drama, SAS Rogue Heroes, along with Via Pictures, are attached to film the series once the scripts are complete. No actors are officially attached as yet, but that is expected to change in the coming weeks.

Unlike the BBC's Shakespearean endeavors, though, this is not a project with a broadcaster already attached. The project's announcement in the trades will generate interest. Knight's Great Expectations is wrapping up its BBC/FX run on April 22, and Happy Valley's final season (which already aired on the BBC) is heading to AMC+/Acorn TV/BBC America in May 2023. Whether or not the BBC will swoop in with an American co-producer in tow or a bidding war results remains to be seen.