Sky Italia sign up for BBC drama on the Medici family

Sky Italia has signed up for the new BBC drama series on the Italian Renaissance family, The Medici, which is being produced for the corporation by Spooks’ producer Kudos.

 

Last year the BBC revealed plans for a new 8 part drama series based around the notorious Italian Renaissance family; the Medici’s. The drama is being produced by the BBC by Kudos who make, amongst other drama’s, Spooks for the corporation. Now Sky Italia has signed up to The Medici drama. The drama is being written by Frank Deasy and Adrian Hodges – who was behind the BBC’s re-imaging of Survivors – and the first series chronicles the story of Cosimo and Lornezo but if the drama is successful it will expand to cover other historical characters.

 

The Medici isn’t the only drama that will follow a notorious Italian family during the Renaissance as Showtime is developing The Borgias – its successor to The Tudors. The Borgias has been given the go ahead for a 13 part first season and will star Jeremy Irons and Colm Feore. In the 1980s the BBC had their own drama on the criminal family but it was panned by critics and shunned by viewers.