BBC One has commissioned The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies the first original series from sibling writing duo Penelope Skinner (Fresh Meat, Linda, Briony Hatch; a graphic novel) and Ginny Skinner (Briony Hatch; a graphic novel). The six-part thriller is produced by SISTER and was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, and Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content.
This is the story of two very different women and the conman they have in common; a dark, funny, and unpredictable thriller about three remarkable characters trapped in a triangle of epic proportions.
Alice is a formidable PA, a single mother, and a lifelong Madonna fan. Caroline is a bestselling fantasy author who, recently bereaved, now lives alone with her toy poodle, Goblin. Rob is an eccentric and celebrated ecopreneur… who may or may not be trying to destroy them both.
This is a story about lies and artifice, about our weakness for self-deception, and about the rapid ascent of the modern fraudster. Why do ‘respectable’ psychopaths rise to the top? Why does a posh man in a suit still seem so plausible compared to a working-class single mum in a pink plastic rain mac? And if you can’t beat them, is joining them really so bad?
Above all, this is also the story of an unexpected friendship between two very different women and the power they’ll discover if they can make their voices heard...
Penelope and Ginny Skinner said: “In a world where convicted conmen become overnight cultural icons, bypassing blame on their way to fame, we have been inspired to fight back against the glorification of the predator. We want to tell a story about the real heroes of any scam: those who risk everything to call out the perpetrators. We are overjoyed to be working with the formidable team at Sister and are delighted the show has found its home at the BBC.”
SISTER Team added “Penny and Ginny’s rageful, joyful, purposeful vision has us gripped and in stitches in equal measure. We share the Skinners’ hope that this show could act as an aide to spotting the differences between the sort of misbehaviour that is to be encouraged and that which needs desperately to be called out.”
Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, said: “I have been waiting to work with the Skinner sisters for a hundred years and when I read Pack of Lies I remembered why: it’s the perfect evocation of their unique female-centric authorship and bring a tone all of its own to the BBC One slate. I can’t wait to see the work which they and the wonderful team at Sister bring to the screen.”
Created and written by Penelope Skinner and Ginny Skinner, The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies is produced by SISTER for BBC One and Executive Produced by Naomi de Pear (The Power, The Bisexual, Flowers) and Katie Carpenter (Landscapers, The Bisexual, Flowers) for SISTER alongside Penelope Skinner and Ginny Skinner and developed by head of development, Alice Tyler. The six-episode offbeat thriller is commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, and Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content. The global distribution will be handled by BBC Studios. Casting is TBC.