‘Downing Street’ Drama In Works From Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman, Andrew Davies

EXCLUSIVE: Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman, the prolific producers behind series including Elementary and Justified, have teamed with Andrew Davies, the writer behind the original British drama House of Cards, on a drama about a fictional UK prime minster facing a string of crises.

The trio, along with Lionsgate, are producing Downing Street, which follows a PM and a team of senior advisers and young staffers, juggling complicated personal lives with the round-the-clock demands of professional duty.

As a newly christened leader takes the reins of power, they are immediately confronted by a string of crises. The resulting scrutiny of the prime minister’s competence, motives, and personal life by political opponents, a cynical public, beleaguered royals and a rabid press, threaten to derail the Prime Minister’s tenure and expose damaging personal indiscretions.

The timing is delicious, coming as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been facing an avalanche of catastrophes over the last few months including breaking his own Covid protocols and smearing his opposition rival with slurs about sex offender Jimmy Savile.

Davies, who is also best known for his adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Les Miserables, is writing and exec producing the series, which will also be exec produced by Beverly, Timberman and James Baker. It will be produced by Lionsgate Television and Timberman-Beverly Productions.

It is Timberman-Beverly Productions’ latest project with Lionsgate after the pair signed a big overall deal with the studio last year and comes after they set up The Bayou Trilogy, an adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s crime novels with the Love Life and Hightown producer.

“The opportunity to mine this historically rich setting for characters and stories that explore the complicated nexus between power and politics, was too good to pass up, particularly with Andrew Davies leading the way. His story prowess and the gravitational pull of his characters make him the perfect choice for Downing Street,” said Beverly.

Davies is represented by Stephen Durbridge at The Agency. Timberman-Beverly Productions is represented by Adam Berkowitz of Lenore Entertainment Group, UTA and Jeff Finkelstein of Del Shaw and Bruce Gellman of Hansen Jacobson.