A messy divorce and passionate affair will be at the heart of the new series written by the co-creator of Casualty
The producers of Poldark and Victoria are bringing a modern-day new drama to ITV called Desire which will focus on a messy divorce and a destructive new love affair.
The five-part series, produced by Mammoth Screen, has been written by Bafta award winning screenwriter, Jeremy Brock, who co- created BBC’s Casualty when he was just 26 and went on to write feature films Mrs Brown, starring Billy Connolly and Dame Judi Dench and The Last King of Scotland.
The new ITV drama will focus on a woman called Leia, who is battling to hold her life together in the face of a messy divorce when she suddenly finds herself falling passionately in love with a new man at the wrong time.
The fallout is immense and Desire will explore what happens when a passion is so powerful it starts to jeopardize your job, your home and even your children.
Speaking about his new creation, Jeremy said, “For a long time, I’ve wanted to write about what it feels like to be a parent, to try and balance the unconditionally of parental love with the shock of adult passion.
"Our values are bound up with our identity… children, family, work, love, our ideologies. I wanted to write about what happens when all these lights, by which we steer, are suddenly torn away and we are offered the stark choice: adapt or risk losing everything. It’s a huge privilege to be given the opportunity to write this big, passionate, messy slice of contemporary life."
Head of ITV drama, Polly Hill, said, “I am so thrilled to be working with Jeremy. Desire is such a beautiful and compelling story, dealing with the intense passion of a new relationship, the tricky and messy business of divorce and the ultimate love for your children."
Filming will begin this summer in Sheffield with casting yet to be announced. Desire is expected to be on ITV next year.
