HBO and the BBC are joining forces to bring 1536, a new six-episode drama series based on Ava Pickett’s award-winning play of the same name. Pickett will serve as showrunner, writer and executive producer, marking her television series debut.
The darkly comic drama will explore power, patriarchy, friendship and sisterhood through the experiences of working-class women living on the edges of the country. Set against a changing social and political landscape, 1536 examines how the actions of a powerful man can affect the lives and futures of women far removed from his immediate circle.
The series poses a provocative central question: If a king can murder his queen, what does that mean for women elsewhere — and how much has really changed?
Molly Manners, whose credits include One Day and In My Skin, will direct the series and serve as an executive producer. The production is being made by Drama Republic, a Mediawan Group company, for HBO, BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
Additional executive producers include Jude Liknaitzky, Roanna Benn, Rebecca de Souza and Chloe Beeson for Drama Republic, along with Anna Ferguson for the BBC.
HBO executives praised Pickett’s vision and the opportunity to adapt her stage work for television.
“We’re elated to partner with Ava Pickett and the BBC to bring her first television series to life,” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming and head of HBO Drama Series and Films. “Ava is an immense talent, and we couldn’t be more excited and honored to work with her on transforming her singular vision of ‘1536’ from stage to screen.”
Pickett said the collaboration will allow the story to reach a wider audience.
“I’m so excited and thrilled to be working with HBO, the BBC and Drama Republic on 1536 and feel very lucky to have them champion this story so fiercely,” Pickett said. She added that collaborating with Manners was “a dream come true” and said she looked forward to bringing the story of “power, patriarchy and friendship” to television viewers.
Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, said the network was excited to reunite with HBO and bring Pickett’s scripts to the screen.
“We can’t wait for viewers to see these funny, courageous, and iconic female characters on screen,” Salt said.
With its combination of dark comedy, historical themes and contemporary questions about power and gender, 1536 is positioned as a character-driven drama that connects the past with issues that continue to resonate today.
The series will air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, while HBO will bring the production to its audience.