5 Commissions Adaptation of Graham Norton’s Forever Home

5 has commissioned a six-part series adaptation of Graham Norton’s novel Forever Home from FilmNation Entertainment (Anora, Conclave) and The Mediapro Studio.

The project, starring Amy Nuttall (The Feud, Downton Abbey), Douglas Henshall (The Revenge Club, Shetland) and Denise Welch (Tip Toe, Waterloo Road), among others, centers on Carol Crottie, who discovers a long-dead body hidden in the basement of her home and realizes her husband is a killer.

The story that her husband’s first wife ran away, never to be seen again, begins to look like a lie, and the fact that he continuously insists on never selling the house begins to point in the direction of a very dark secret.

In addition to Nuttall, Henshall and Welch, the cast includes Kevin Whately (Inspector Morse, Lewis), Samantha Bond (The Marlow Murder Club, The Inheritance), Lewis Cope (Emmerdale, Strictly Come Dancing), Shane Zaza (Invasion, Big Boys), Jenny Walser (Heartstopper, Sweetpea S2) and James Baxter (Alma’s Not Normal, Waterloo Road).

The adaptation is being written by Clara Salaman (Too Close), who will executive produce alongside Norton. Paul Gay (Vera, Ridley) and Claire Winyard (Death Valley, Vera) are on board to direct the series.

The production is being supported by the North East Production Fund and North East Screen, with filming taking place in Northumberland, North East England.

“In writing Forever Home, I was initially inspired by the simple idea of packing up a home later in life, and the ‘what if’ scenarios and complexities that come with later-life relationships,” Norton said. “The novel soon evolved into a funny, twisted, ‘dark-romp’ full of farcical scenes, and it’s wonderful to see the depth and richness of Carol’s story realized as a screenplay.”

“From the moment I read the always-hilarious Graham Norton’s brilliant novel, I knew I wanted to bring Forever Home to the screen,” said Kirstie Macdonald, creative director of FilmNation TV UK. “It’s a story full of twists and turns, secrets and emotional depth that we can’t wait to bring to life for 5 audiences. We’re proud to collaborate with Clara Salaman, 5 and our partners at The Mediapro Studio on this thrilling adaptation and are grateful for the support of North East Screen.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the talented Clara Salaman, the groundbreaking FilmNation and the iconic 5 to bring Graham Norton’s exciting and witty book to life,” commented Erika Kennair, head of scripted at The Mediapro Studio US & Canada.

On adding this adaptation to 5’s acclaimed drama slate, Paul Testar, commissioning editor at 5, remarked, “We’re delighted to partner with FilmNation and The Mediapro Studio to bring Graham Norton’s compelling novel to U.K. screens, supported by an outstanding cast. Working with North East Screen again to champion local filming has been a pleasure, and we can’t wait for viewers to immerse themselves in Forever Home.”

Gayle Woodruffe, operations director at North East Screen, added, “Forever Home is our 15th production supported by the North East Production Fund, a fund which is helping to attract more production to the North East of England and has invested £2.37 million in productions so far. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with FilmNation and 5 and are looking forward to welcoming the production team to Northumberland, a county which has the perfect locations to suit the story. The North East is fast becoming a hub of TV production, and our Film Office and Skills teams have been working closely with the production team to pull together amazing local crew and companies and offer some outstanding opportunities to work in TV.”