Studio Crook is further cementing its move into scripted programming with the acquisition of Simon James Green’s highly acclaimed Young Adult (YA) comic novel Gay Club!.

It is the second YA title that the Brighton-based indie has picked up, alongside Phil Earle’s World War II novel When the Sky Falls, with a third yet to be announced. 
 

Green’s sixth YA novel following the likes of Noah Can’t Even and You’re The One That I Want, Gay Club! tells the story of the battle to become president of Greenacre Academy’s LGBTQ+ society. Barney appears to be a shoo-in, until voting is opened up to the whole school and chaos ensues. 

In March 2022, Green (picured, above) made headlines when he was banned from visiting a Catholic school in London, prompting upset from teaching unions as well as a debate about book censorship for young people. 
 

“Gay Club! is a celebration of universal teen friendships and the LGBTQ+ community, showcasing the love, the humour, and the messiness of LGBT relationships, while affectionately satirizing some of the more ridiculous elements of modern life and political discourse which none of us can escape from,” said Green.
 

The author has penned the pilot with his scriptwriting partner Sarah Counsell, who has also acted in Merlin and Doctor Who. The duo previously wrote BBC2’s 2010 ‘urban musical’ Rules of Love and the West End play The Diary of Me.
 

Crook managing director Matt Crook recently told Broadcast of the fledgling indie’s move into scripted, stressing his ambition for authors of the novels the production company acquires to take the lead in creating the scripts. 
 

The indie’s head of scripted, Justine Potter, said the team wants “TV audiences to fall in love with Barney and the gang as much as we did”, adding: “Simon and Sarah Counsell’s stellar script has allowed us to really expand upon the world of the novel and spread the love and laughter to new audiences at a time when LGBTQ+ stories are being challenged in the US, UK and other countries around the world.” 
 

Gay Club! was published in the UK last year and the acquisition deal comes ahead of the novel’s US debut next month. 
 

Potter added: “At such a terrifying time for LGBTQ+ rights in the USA, we’re right behind Scholastic launching it as a lead title in America and this show promises to bring joy to audiences everywhere series on series.”

This article first appeared on our sister site, Broadcast.