ITV tempt us to our sofas with new, nearly new and classic commissions

A classic dramatisation, the return of a favourite from last year and a brand new drama are ITV’s entries to my roundup of what’s coming up on normal telly.

William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel, Vanity Fair, is being adapted into a seven part screen drama, produced by the exceedingly busy Mammoth Screen (Poldark, And Then There Were None) and will be written by Gwyneth Hughes (Dark Angel, Miss Austen Regrets) and made with Amazon Studios.

Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, the literary classic follows timeless heroine Becky Sharp as she attempts to fight her way out of poverty and into the upper echelons of English society. Her story of “villainy, crime, merriment, lovemaking, jilting, laughing, cheating, fighting and dancing”, sees her fetch up at the court of King George IV, via the Battle of Waterloo, leaving heartbreak and fortunes in her wake.

The resourceful, worldly and morally ambiguous Becky will be played by Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), soon to be starring in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

Executive Producer Damien Timmer says: “We’re so proud to be working with ITV and Amazon on this most glorious of stories – the combination of Olivia Cooke, Gwyneth Hughes and Thackeray will be an irresistible one, and we look forward to watching Becky Sharp conquer the 21st century!”

Vanity Fair will be filmed on location in and around London, with additional shooting in Budapest, from September this year.

There’s a second series for the well-received London based noir drama, Marcella, an eight parter that will lead its audience in a complex and emotional journey alongside a myriad of characters interwoven in each others stories.

Anna Friel reprises her role as the eponymous detective, joined by Series 1 regulars Ray Panthaki, Nicholas Pinnock, Jamie Barber and Jack Doolan, while new members of the cast include Nigel Planer (Episodes) and Keith Allen (My Mad Fat Diary).

Written by internationally renowned screenwriter and novelist Hans Rosenfeldt (The Bridge), the story begins with the discovery of a body inside a wall, surrounded by toys, soft animals and a school blazer, which quickly turns personal for our hero.

BAFTA award winning screenwriter Kay Mellor brings us a tale of friendships standing the test of time, as filming begins on six parter Girlfriends.

With her trademark strong female voices apparent, this passion project for the writer has brought together a stellar cast, with the three leads Phyllis Logan (The Good Karma Hospital) Miranda Richardson (Mapp and Lucia) and Zoe Wanamaker (Mr. Selfridge) joined by a plethora of familiar faces, including Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter), Chris Fountain (Coronation Street), Anthony Head (Buffy), Wendy Craig (Unforgotten) and Paula Wilcox (Upstart Crow).

Mellor says: “Girlfriends is a story that I’ve been longing to tell. It’s wonderful to be returning to ITV and working with Polly Hill again – she’s an inspiration to me.

I’m so looking forward to working with such a talented cast. It’s fantastic that we’ve got such high-calibre actors to play the three very different leading characters.

I’m aware that there are a lot of women of a certain age who feel like they are invisible and unheard, so I’m proud to have the chance to shine a light on their lives and give them a voice. The series is not just a platform for their voices though – there is a big, bold, dark story at its heart, which is shot through with humour. I’m hoping both men and women will love it as much as I’ve loved writing it.”

Best stock up on the biscuits, as we settle down permanently on our sofas.

Click the channel name to check out the Channel 4 and BBC’s entries.

Images: ITV except where stated.