FNG Europe & Africa Orders First Original Drama

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LONDON: Fox Networks Group (FNG) Europe and Africa has commissioned its first scripted drama for the region, with the espionage thriller The Nine (working title).

The new 8×1-hour drama is created by Matthew Parkhill (Rogue) and Simon Maxwell (American Odyssey). The series will air on Fox channels in more than 50 European and African countries.

The character-driven espionage thriller is set in the U.K., the U.S., Iran, Lebanon and France. It centers on Max Easton, an ex-spy who is brought back into the game to avenge the death of his son, only to find himself at the heart of a covert intelligence war and a conspiracy to profit from spreading chaos throughout the Middle East.

Hilary Bevan Jones (Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot, State of Play, The Escape Artist) and Tom Nash (Restless, Esio Trot, Partners in Crime) will produce for Endor Productions, part of the Red Arrow Group. Matthew Parkhill, Simon Maxwell and Stephen Thompson (Jericho, Sherlock, Doctor Who) serve as writers.

Sara Johnson, the VP of scripted drama at FNG, said, “Matthew and Simon have created a smart, modern, thrilling and mainstream new drama, and The Nine (working title) is the perfect example of quality drama being created in Europe. We are delighted to be working with Matthew and Simon alongside Hilary, Tom and the team at Endor to bring this project to screens across the region, and beyond.”

Maxwell and Parkhill said, “We wanted to tell a story set against the backdrop of our dangerous and uncertain times. The Nine unfolds through the eyes of a man caught between two versions of himself, the past and the present. The genre of an espionage thriller gives us the perfect opportunity to mix his personal story with the turbulence of an ever-changing geo-political landscape.”

Bevan Jones commented: “Fox Networks Group, with their ambitious global reach, is the perfect partner for this drama. We will be filming on location in Morocco, using the expertise of producer Khadija Alami (The Night Manager, Tyrant) to bring this visceral story to the screen.”