TNT & E4 Partner for Foreign Bodies

LONDON: The comedic drama Foreign Bodies, a new series from Eleven and Entertainment One (eOne) Television, is scheduled to launch in the U.K. on E4 in early 2017, followed later in the year by a U.S. debut on TNT.

Created by Tom Basden (Plebs, Peep Show, Fresh Meat), Foreign Bodies is being scripted by Basden, James Wood (Rev, Ambassadors), Amy Roberts (The Village, Shameless), Loren McLaughlin (Coronation Street, Shameless), Charlie Covell (Banana, Burn Burn Burn), Tim Key (We Need Answers, Screenwipe) and Jonny Sweet (Together, Chickens). The eight-part series is about a group of young adults venturing across China, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Jonathan van Tulleken (Off Season, Movie 43, Misfits) has signed on to direct the first block of episodes. eOne controls worldwide rights to the series outside of the U.K.

“Foreign Bodies is a terrific opportunity for TNT to work with eOne, Eleven and E4 on a series that will appeal to young adults not only in the U.S. and the U.K. but also around the globe,” said Sarah Aubrey, the executive VP of original programming for TNT. “It’s also a great chance to bring Tom Basden’s unique voice to our stateside viewers.”

“We are thrilled to be bringing Foreign Bodies to audiences in the U.S. and the U.K.,” said Pancho Mansfield, the president of global scripted programming at Entertainment One Television. “TNT and Channel 4 are the perfect broadcast partners for this show. We’re also delighted to expand our ongoing partnership with Eleven as we continue making first-rate shows with wide global appeal. We’re excited to take this journey and look forward to delivering this standout series to the international market.”

“We’re very excited to be working with TNT in bringing Foreign Bodies alive,” said Joel Wilson and Jamie Campbell of Eleven. “Along with Channel 4, TNT has shared and supported our vision for the show from the moment we pitched it. It’s a great privilege to be working with such a dynamic pair of broadcasters on a show of such scale and ambition. Tom is a true visionary, and we can’t wait to get shooting.”

Piers Wenger, head of drama for Channel 4, said: “Tom Basden and the team of outstanding British writers have created a show that perfectly captures the hilarity of a gap year going wrong when five would-be travelers embark on an epic quest to find paradise…and themselves. I’m thrilled that Foreign Bodies will have a U.S. home on TNT and look forward to working with Eleven to bring this fresh and exciting project to both U.K. and U.S. audiences.”