ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill has commissioned a six part drama, Riches, about the exploits of the super-successful and wealthy Richards family, written by Abby Ajayi (How To Get Away With Murder, Four Weddings And A Funeral) and produced by Unsaid Stories and Been So Long producers, Greenacre Films.
The story centres on Stephen Richards, a successful and smart businessman, who always gets his own way. He’s built his life and business empire around the fact everything he touches turns to gold. Even abandoning his first wife and two older children, Nina and Simon, turned out well for him.
After 20 years of success, Stephen’s at the helm of his multi-million pound cosmetics empire and is reaping the rewards of his business acumen and ambitions. He’s a great advocate for black-owned business, powerful, driven and impassioned, and with a glamourous, younger second wife, Claudia, life is never dull. Along with their adult children, Alesha, Gus and Wanda they love spending their hard-earned cash. The Richards are all about the good life and they’ve earnt it.
In New York, Nina and Simon have established themselves as business people in their own right but when Stephen suffers a stroke, the family’s world comes tumbling down. As Stephen’s life hangs in the balance, his children are about to collide and with secrets and lies rising to the surface and the empire at stake, it’s bound to be a complicated family reunion…
Commented Polly Hill: “I am so proud to be making this show with Greenacre Films. Abby’s scripts are brilliant and have you hooked into the story of the Richards family from the start. It’s aspirational, entertaining storytelling about power and success, but it’s also a brilliant family drama. I think it will be a compelling and addictive show to watch.”
Riches will begin filming in London and New York during the early part of 2021. The series will be produced by Greenacre Films (Been So Long), the indie founded by award winning producers Nadine Marsh-Edwards (Joe All Alone, The Ruins of Empires, An Englishman in New York) and Amanda Jenks (The Girl, Akala’s Odyssey, An Englishman in New York) with a remit to produce fresh and surprising stories with diverse voices.
Commented Nadine Marsh-Edwards and Amanda Jenks: “It’s fantastic to be back working with Polly and ITV on this compelling and nuanced series and to be working with the incredibly talented Abby Ajayi to bring the Richard’s to screen is an absolute joy. We think that it’s going to be a lot of fun and can’t wait to bring such an entertaining and brilliant family into people’s homes.”
Commented Abby Ajayi: “The brash, complicated and indefatigable Richards family are a joy to write and I am thrilled that this contemporary story about a Black British family and their ambitions has found a home at ITV with its enviable track record of popular dramas. I’m delighted to be working with Nadine Marsh-Edwards and Amanda Jenks who have long proven their commitment to entertaining, inclusive storytelling.”
Banijay Rights will be responsible for international distribution of the drama on behalf of Greenacre Films.
Jon Creamer
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