Sky1 HD Commissions Drama Serial

LONDON: A new four-part drama, Mad Dogs, has been commissioned by Sky1 HD for a spring 2011 debut.

Mad Dogs, written by Cris Cole and produced by Left Bank Pictures, stars Max Beesley, Philip Glenister, John Simm and Marc Warren. The show centers on the reunion of a group of childhood friends—Woody (Beesley), Quinn (Glenister), Baxter (Simm) and Rich (Warren)—who are now in their 40s. The dark comedy tells the story of friendship put to the test after an inconceivable chain of events unfolds.

Elaine Pyke, the head of drama for Sky1 HD, Sky1, Sky2 and Sky 3, who greenlit Mad Dogs, said: “Cris Cole’s Mad Dogs is a fantastically well-constructed psychological thriller. When I first read the script I was immediately grabbed by how thrilling, scary and funny it is. This is a hugely exciting, ambitious project and it’s the perfect show for Sky1.”

Suzanne Mackie, the executive producer, commented: “In many ways the idea for Mad Dogs was born out of friendship: it was both the long-term friendships of Phil, John, Marc and Max, who had decided they wanted to work together and my own friendship with Phil and writer Cris Cole that pulled us all together.  We are all roughly the same age, and at the same phase of life, and so it seemed fitting for us to place themes of ‘growing older’ and friendship at the heart of Mad Dogs, and to create a drama that would allow us to explore the darker recesses of both.”

Andy Harries, the chief executive at Left Bank Pictures, added: “Who let the dogs out? We did. Four fantastic and highly competitive guys going head to head in a brilliant new drama—its going to be a real treat on Sky1.”