BBC Studios & Anton Greenlight Short-Form Comedic Drama

BBC Studios and Anton have commissioned their first premium short-form scripted series, Cheaters, from The End of the F***ing World producer Clerkenwell Films.

The 18-episode returnable series is told in ten-minute chapters. A comedic drama, Cheaters takes a look at morality and monogamy—and everything in between. The series is written and created by Oliver Lyttelton, known for his short film The Listener.

Mark Linsey, BBC Studios’ chief creative officer, said: “This is the first time that we have fully commissioned a drama without a broadcaster already on board, which marks an exciting moment for us at BBC Studios. We’ve seen an increase in the demand for super-premium content in a bite-sized format and Cheaters is a bold comedy drama that will engage audiences in this new way. It’s young, it’s fresh and comes from Clerkenwell who have a well-established knack for creating punchy and eye-catching content that audiences just love”.

Murray Ferguson, chief executive at Clerkenwell Films, added: “Cheaters is the first of several series we’re developing in this format. It’s clear from the success of The End of the F***ing World that there is a huge appetite globally for new and innovative content that is high quality yet easy to consume and prepared to break with convention both in format and narrative content. Oliver Lyttelton’s scripts and characters are brilliantly surprising and addictive. It’s such a pleasure working with him.”

Lyttelton said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Clerkenwell Films, BBC Studios and Anton on Cheaters. Stories about infidelity are as old as time, but I think we’ve found one that takes on the big thorny questions of guilt, sex, morality and monogamy in a way that’s surprising, funny, painful, messy and relatable.”

Sebastien Raybaud, CEO at Anton, commented: “The global audience’s appetite for unique creative content is increasing exponentially. The combination of Clerkenwell’s exciting, innovative storytelling and Oliver’s original voice coupled with the accessibility of the short-form format is an exciting proposition.”

Cheaters is the first commission in a long-term development deal between BBC Studios, Anton and Clerkenwell Films.