Netflix announces Rowan Atkinson comedy among seven new UK series
Series will see Atkinson play a character at war with a bee
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Netflix has announced seven new scripted series as part of an effort to invest in UK-based productions.
Among those to have struck deals with Netflix are Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean), Sam Mendes (Skyfall) and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block).
Man vs Bee, created by Atkinson and Johnny English’s Will Davies, will star Atkinson as a man who feuds with a bee while housesitting in an opulent mansion. The series, a comedy, will be comprised of 10 episodes, each lasting just 10 minutes.
The Red Zone is a comedy about the world of professional football, written by sports journalists Barney Ronay and Jonathan Liew, and produced by Mendes.
Lockwood & Co is a sci-fi, written and directed by Cornish. Set in London, it focuses on a rag-tag crew of supernatural ghost-hunters, and is based on best-selling novels by Jonathan Stroud.
Other series include YA fantasy adaptation Half Bad, six-part horror Cuckoo Song, and Baby Reindeer, which is based on a stage play by comedian Richard Gadd.
“Setting up a team entirely based in the UK was always about being able to better connect to the fantastic program makers we have here — to provide a space for writers, producers, directors and actors that feels local, friendly and familiar but also provides talent the opportunity to make shows that will impact on a global scale,” said Anne Mensah, Netflix’s vice president of UK originals.
“UK-made stories really do speak to the world,” she added.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments