{"id":17935,"date":"2022-12-02T09:55:36","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T14:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev2.worldscreen.com\/tvdrama\/itv-commissions-john-fashanu-drama\/"},"modified":"2022-12-02T09:56:12","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T14:56:12","slug":"itv-commissions-john-fashanu-drama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvdrama\/itv-commissions-john-fashanu-drama\/","title":{"rendered":"ITV Commissions Fashanu Brothers Drama"},"content":{"rendered":"

ITV has ordered Fash<\/em>, a drama series from playwright, writer and director Kwame Kwei-Armah (Elmina\u2019s Kitchen<\/em>, Breaking<\/em>) about footballers Justin and John Fashanu.<\/p>\n

John Fashanu is closely involved in the drama, serving as a consultant on the series alongside Peter Tatchell and a number of other contributors. Fash<\/em> will premiere on ITV1 and will be available as a box set on ITVX once the first episode has aired.<\/p>\n

In 1981, at 20 years old, Justin Fashanu signs to Nottingham Forest, becoming the first black British footballer to be sold for \u00a31 million. In 1990, he is the first professional footballer to publicly come out as gay. In 1998, with his football career in tatters and ostracized by his family, Justin commits suicide.<\/p>\n

In 1981, Justin\u2019s younger brother John signs to Norwich City, the same club at which his brother made his name. Over the next few years, as his younger brother\u2019s star fades and life becomes mired by pitch-side rumor and front-page tabloid expos\u00e9s, John supersedes Justin as the famous Fashanu. In 1998, when Justin dies, the two are wholly estranged.<\/p>\n

Fash<\/em> tells a story of two young men, each trapped in their own damaging and dangerous notions of masculinity, that traverses back and forth across their eventful lives.<\/p>\n

The series will be produced by Happy Prince (part of ITV Studios).\u00a0International distribution is handled by ITV Studios.<\/p>\n

John Fashanu said: \u201cI\u2019m so pleased to be working with Kwame and Happy Prince on this project. Much has been said and written about the relationship Justin, and I shared over the years, but drama of this type has an ability to delve right to the beating heart and truth of events in a way other media can\u2019t. I feel privileged to play a part in bringing it to the screen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kwei-Armah said: \u201cI grew up watching the Fashanu brothers. I was fascinated by them. Inspired by them. As an adult, my heart breaks for them. \u2018The past is a foreign land\u2019, the saying goes, \u2018they do things differently there.\u2019 In Fash<\/em>, I wanted to dive into that past, particularly one that has so many resonances with today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tatchell added: \u201cThis is a powerful, moving life story that needs to be told. I am very honored to act as a consultant to the production team, based on my friendship with Justin Fashanu in the 1980s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Polly Hill, ITV\u2019s head of drama, said: \u201cKwame\u2019s scripts are brilliant and tell a story that is heart-breaking and sadly still relevant today. It is always a huge responsibility telling a true story, and Kwame and the team at Happy Prince tell Justin and John\u2019s story with all the truth, passion and sensitivity it deserves. I\u2019m delighted it\u2019s found a home on ITV.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexander Lamb, executive producer at Happy Prince, added: \u201cFash is a truly important story that myself, Dominic and the Happy Prince team are desperate to tell, and its significance and timeliness rings even truer as football and sexuality currently dominate the news. It\u2019s an honor to work with the brilliant Kwame Kwei-Armah as he brings Justin and John\u2019s incredibly tough, beautifully moving and often heart-breaking tragedy alive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ITV has ordered Fash, a drama series from playwright, writer and director Kwame Kwei-Armah (Elmina\u2019s Kitchen, Breaking) about footballers Justin and John Fashanu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":350,"featured_media":17936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[5527,5528,321,119,5529,5530,5531,5532,5304],"class_list":["post-17935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-fash","tag-happy-prince","tag-itv","tag-itv-studios","tag-john-fashanu","tag-justin-fashanu","tag-kwame-kwei-armah","tag-peter-tatchell","tag-polly-hill","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nITV Commissions Fashanu Brothers Drama - TVDRAMA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvdrama\/itv-commissions-john-fashanu-drama\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ITV Commissions Fashanu Brothers Drama - 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