The prolific Red Planet Pictures is preparing to go into production next month on Dickensian, a drama series from seasoned showrunner and Red Planet founder Tony Jordan. 

The 20 x 30 run is for BBC One, with the Beeb’s Polly Hill executive producing alongside Jordan. Set in Victorian London, it mixes up many of the characters from Charles Dickens’ novels who meet each other in surprising ways, often providing very different endings to the original stories. 

Alex Jones, head of production and business at the production company, told The Knowledge: “Dickensian is a remarkable returning drama from Tony Jordan and Red Planet Pictures, inspired by the characters and stories of Charles Dickens. Victorian London has been recreated as never before, with locations taken from Dickens’ novels and peopled with his most loved characters, merging together to form a unique and compelling world.”

There had been some concern last year that the series may have had to shoot abroad due to lack of studio space in the UK, but it is now firmly planted in West London. There had also been potential issues with qualifying for the high-end drama tax relief as a 30 minute drama would not fall within the criteria for the scheme. However, as the aggregate slot length is over half an hour – i.e. the total series is over 30 minutes – it can indeed benefit British high-end drama tax relief. 

On Production Intelligence you will find details of the producer, director, line producer, production manager, casting director and production designer.

Just a couple of weeks before  filming begins on Dickensian, principal photography starts on the fifth series of Death in Paradise on its usual island home of Guadeloupe, and the ever-busy Red Planet are also working on several other dramas currently on their development slate, all listed on Production Intelligence.