Richard Gadd’s First Post-‘Baby Reindeer’ Drama, ‘Lions,’ to Be Co-Produced by HBO and the BBC

Stanley Morgan

“Baby Reindeer” creator and star Richard Gadd‘s next drama series is set to be co-produced by HBO and the BBC. HBO announced on Thursday that has partnered with the BBC to co-produce “Lions,” a six-episode drama series from Gadd, who created, wrote and executive produces the series — but isn’t attached to star in it.

BBC had commissioned “Lions” — from Banijay UK’s Mam Tor Prods. — back in February, prior to the spring premiere of “Baby Reindeer” on Netflix, where it quickly became a smash hit and skyrocketed Gadd to the A-list. (That would also explain why Netflix — which generally aims to clear global rights for its projects — isn’t a part of “Lions.” HBO, on the other hand, frequently partners with the BBC on co-productions.)

“Ordering an HBO box set of ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘The Wire,’ or ‘Oz’ and watching it from start to finish were some of the happiest moments of my childhood,” Gadd said in a statement. “Since then, it has always been a dream of mine to work with HBO and be part of their iconic roster of shows. I am so grateful to [HBO drama head] Francesca Orsi, [HBO drama senior VP] Kara Buckley and [HBO drama VP] Clint LaVigne for taking this chance on the show and on Ruben and Niall too who – despite growing up in a dead-end Scottish town – would be absolutely pinching themselves at this! I cannot wait to get started.”

Alexandra Brodski (“Somewhere Boy,” “Rivals”) and Eshref Reybrouck (“Ferry: The Series,” “Cheyenne & Lola”) are set to direct “Lions,” about two estranged brothers. There’s no casting yet on “Lions,” but production is expected to start soon.

Here’s the logline: “When Niall’s estranged ‘brother’ Ruben shows up at his wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives. Spanning almost forty years from the 1980s to the present day, this ambitious series will cover the highs and lows of the brothers’ relationship, from them meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults – with all the good, bad, terrible, funny, angry, and challenging moments along the way. It will capture the wild energy of a changing city – a changing world, even – and try to get to the bottom of the difficult question… What does it mean to be a man?”

Mam Tor Prods. will produce the “Lions” for HBO in the U.S., as well as BBC One, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. Banijay Rights is handling international distribution outside of the U.S., U.K. and Ireland.

On board to produce is Wendy Griffin (“Limbo,” “The Lost King”), while exec producers include Mam Tor’s Tally Garner and Morven Reid, BBC’s Gaynor Holmes and BBC Scotland’s Gavin Smith, in addition to Gadd.

“We are tremendously excited to partner with the BBC and Richard Gadd, whose remarkable talent continues to make waves across the globe,” HBO drama senior VP Kara Buckley said in a statement. “With this new, gripping and evocative series, we are proud to welcome Richard to the HBO family.”

Earlier this month, Netflix revealed that “Baby Reindeer” had become the streamer’s No. 10 most popular English-language series of all time — measuring 84.5 million viewers as of June 11. In her Variety review, Aramide Tinubu called the series “shocking, hilarious, painful and devastating. ‘Baby Reindeer’ is a rare gem on television, reminding us of what is possible in the medium.” (The series has also since caused some debate over whether it should be deemed based on a real story.)

Lindsay Salt, who is now director of BBC Drama, was at Netflix when she commissioned “Baby Reindeer” — adapted from Gadd’s stage play of the same name. After arriving at the BBC, she was instrumental in greenlighting “Lions.”  

“We are delighted that HBO are joining us to bring Richard Gadd’s exquisite Lions scripts to the screen,” Salt said. “This is bold, brilliant, one-of-a-kind storytelling and we can’t wait for viewers to see it.”

“Lions” will be filmed in Glasgow; Screen Scotland is supporting the production.

“’Lions’ is a superb example of how we can bring high quality storytelling and content rooted in Scotland to audiences across the UK and the world,” said BBC Scotland head of commissioning Louise Thornton. “We’re delighted to be working with our BBC colleagues, Screen Scotland and HBO to bring Richard’s truly innovative scripts to life.”

Added Mam Tor Productions managing director Tally Garner: “Morven [Reid] and I are utterly delighted to be partnering with HBO alongside the BBC and can’t wait to bring Richard Gadd’s incredible vision to the screen. The quality and prestige of HBO is world-renowned, and we are so grateful to the HBO Drama team and the BBC for supporting us on this journey.”