BBC One Commissions New Thriller About Organized Crime

LONDON: BBC One has commissioned the thriller series McMafia from Hossein Amini and James Watkins.

The series is inspired by Misha Glenny’s 2008 best-selling book of the same name and is created and written by Amini and Watkins. The drama tells the story of a Russian crime family living in exile in London. It is produced by Cuba Pictures.

Glenny said: “I am a huge fan of The Godfather, The Sopranos and, more recently, Narcos. Hoss and James’s brilliant reworking of McMafia takes this tradition onto a global canvas by revealing the immense possibilities open to an ambitious Russian crime family in an interconnected world.”

Polly Hill, the controller of BBC drama commissioning, commented: “Hossein Amini and James Watkins have brilliantly reworked Misha Glenny's best-selling book McMafia, into a really exciting and original new drama for BBC One. This is a family drama in the world of global organized crime, which has attracted incredible writing talent to work alongside Hoss and James, to bring this drama to screen. I am very excited to have this on BBC One.”

Amini remarked: “I have always been a fan of Mob sagas, but Misha Glenny’s McMafia is the first book I’ve read that captures the complexity and global reach of organized crime in the 21st century. The lines between gangsters, bankers, politicians and spies have been blurred and the whole world has become a battlefield in this global gang war. I am thrilled to be working with such terrific writers on a series that I hope will be epic, authentic and also intimate in the best traditions of the genre.”

Watkins added: “The annual turnover of transnational organized crime is estimated at $870 billion. Misha Glenny's brilliant book casts fascinating light on that huge hidden world and shows how terrifyingly close it is to us all. I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with such brilliant writers to bring that captivating underworld to BBC One.”

Nick Marston, the CEO of Cuba Pictures, stated: “Cuba Pictures are hugely excited to be making McMafia for BBC One. Inspired by Misha Glenny’s illuminating book, Hossein and James have written a fantastic script. With the depth of talent in the writing team and the invaluable support of the BBC, we look forward to making a series that will have great international resonance.”

BBC Worldwide will manage the show’s international partnerships, in addition to overseeing global rights.