Kingdom
 Licensor: Parallel Film and Television
Channel: ITV1
Type: Comedy drama
Target Market: All adults
The first series of Kingdom, shown in spring 2007, was a huge hit. An average of 6.6 million viewers tuned in every Sunday evening to watch the country town solicitor, played by Stephen Fry, deal with the problems of his eccentric clients – and his even more eccentric sister – while trying to get over the mysterious death of his brother. With compelling storylines, stunning Norfolk locations and a superb cast, Kingdom is British comedy drama at its best, and the show has been snapped up by broadcasters in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA (PBS).
With a second 6-part series in production for spring 2008, Kingdom provides a perfect platform for tie-in books. Metrostar is working with the producer, Parallel Film and Television, to develop both fiction and non-fiction titles.
 For the fiction, we are planning an original hardback novel set a year before the first series, which will tell the fascinating stories behind the main characters – Peter Kingdom himself, the solicitor who is more interested in people than the letter of the law; Lyle his disenchanted assistant; Beatrice his rebellious younger sister; and Snell, the misfit at war with authority. We learn the dark secret buried in Peter Kingdom’s past and the chain of events that led up to the disappearance of his brother, Simon.
A large part of Kingdom’s appeal is its Norfolk setting – the immense skies, spectacular beaches, stunning architecture and eccentric customs. The non-fiction proposal, Kingdom Country, celebrates the locations in East Anglia that are so integral to the series, such as Swaffham, the historic market town that serves as the fictional Market Shipborough, and Holkham Bay, the vast expanse of sand where Kingdom goes to reflect. Many other locations are included as are traditional local Norfolk customs that feature in the series, such as the fenland sport of dyke leaping!
- Second series commissioned for ITV1 spring 2008
- Audience: 6.6 million
- Licensing: DVD (2Entertain) series 1
For more information:
Email: Stuart Cooper
Tel: 0207 317 0963
Mob: 07747 127310 |
