Dawn French is heading to ITV with Glass Houses, an all-new drama about a resident of a close-knit coastal town who town who makes it her business to know a bit about everyone’s lives.
When a radio journalist interviews Maggie Connors (French) for a small reportage piece about local life she gives him far more detail (and embellishment) about the locals and their personal lives than he was counting on.
In the days and weeks following the show’s broadcast, Maggie sees the butterfly effect of how her very public gossip-fest affects various figures around the town and disrupts their lives.
The actress, who will also serve as an Executive Producer on the show, will be joined by Mark Heap, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Vicki Pepperdine and Patrick Robinson.
The six-part series will go into production on location in South Devon this Spring and will be produced by Genial Productions.
ITV’s Saskia Schuster said “Glass Houses is a new drama in the tradition of Doc Martin and The Darling Buds Of May, full of warmth and intriguing characters.
“This new series will embrace its beautiful idyllic South Devon setting as we meet the villagers of Thurlbury and find out how an innocent afternoon spent indiscreetly gossiping has a domino effect on the whole village.“
Sophie Clarke-Jervoise, Genial Production’s Managing Director and Executive Producer, said: “We’re delighted to be making Glass Houses for ITV – it’s a cautionary tale for anyone wanting to gain popularity by passing on unfounded gossip and Mark Brotherhood’s scripts are packed full of intrigue, comedy and suspense.”
Dawn French added: “Sophie and I have been developing Glass Houses for some time and I can’t wait to finally get started in front of the camera.
“It’s such a good story with a fantastic funny, touching script by Mark Brotherhood. Let me at it!”