Paramount+ has greenlit original UK drama series Flatshare (6×45’), ahead of the launch of the global streaming service in the UK this summer.
The series stars Jessica Brown Findlay and Anthony Welsh.
42 is producing Flatshare in association with VIS – the international studio division of Paramount Global. Flatshare was commissioned by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK, Paramount, as part of the streamer’s wider strategy to greenlight 50 new international scripted originals in 2022.
Based on the bestselling book by Beth O’Leary, which has been translated into 33 languages, Flatshare follows two cash-strapped twentysomethings – Tiffany and Leon – who share a bed. The catch is, Tiffany and Leon have never met and, if their plan works out, they never will. With neither able to afford to rent their own flat, they decide to time-share a bed as Tiffany spends her days earning minimum wage for minimum appreciation at a clickbait news website and Leon works long night shifts in a hospice. As the Post-its start to fly, both get unexpectedly drawn into the other’s messy, complex lives, and an attraction evolves backwards. The question is – can you really fall in love with a person you’ve never set eyes on?
Jessica Brown Findlay (Brave New World, Harlots, The Hanging Sun) and Anthony Welsh (Master Of None, The Great, The Gallows Pole) take on the lead roles of Tiffany and Leon. Also joining the cast of Flatshare are Bart Edwards (The Witcher, State of Happiness, Unreal) as Tiffany’s ex-boyfriend Justin and Shaq B. Grant (The Box, Gangs of London) as Leon’s brother Richie. Shaniqua Okwok (It’s a Sin, Wolfe) and Jonah Hauer-King (World on Fire, The Little Mermaid) play Tiffany’s best friends Maia and Mo.
Rose Lewenstein (On the Edge) is lead writer and executive producer on the series, with Peter Cattaneo (The A Word, Rev, The Full Monty) as lead director and executive producer. Joining Lewenstein on the writing team are Sarah Simmonds (Killing Eve, The Irregulars), Ryan Calais Cameron (Typical), and Alex Straker (The Last Kingdom). Chloë Wicks (On the Edge) will direct block two.
Executive producers for 42 are Miriam Brent, Rory Aitken and Eleanor Moran. Rhonda Smith (The Girl Before, The Pursuit of Love) is producer.
On the new series order, Sebastian Cardwell said: “Flatshare gives a flavour of the high-quality local content that viewers can look forward to from Paramount+. With VIS and 42 at the helm, and a brilliant cast attached, I’m looking forward to seeing this adaptation of a much-loved novel come to life.”
Miriam Brent, Rory Aitken and Eleanor Moran, Executive Producers at 42, added: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Beth O’Leary’s captivating bestseller to television. Bursting with wit and heart, Flatshare is the perfect love story for a global millennial audience. Adapted for the screen by our incredible showrunner Rose Lewenstein, and helmed by Oscar-nominated director Peter Cattaneo, the creative team is a dream come true. With Jessica Brown Findlay and Anthony Welsh as our leads, we can’t wait for audiences to fall in love with Tiffany and Leon all over again.”
Flatshare will be exclusively available on Paramount+ in the UK as well as all international markets where the service is available. The series is the latest Paramount+ original title to be greenlit from the UK as part of a wider slate of international drama originals that will premiere on Paramount+ around the world. Recently, A Gentleman in Moscow and Sexy Beast were revealed as the first UK commissions for Paramount+, alongside Simon Beckett’s The Chemistry of Death (Germany), Yonder (South Korea) and renewals for Los Enviados (The Envoys) (Mexico) and Cecilia (Mexico).
Filming for Flatshare has commenced on location in Bristol, UK, with filming also taking place in London and Brighton.
Jon Creamer
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