‘Ragdoll’: UKTV’s Alibi & AMC Team Up For Modern-Day Faustian Thriller
UKTV’s Alibi has teamed up with Sid Gentle Films Ltd (‘Killing Eve’) and AMC for ‘Ragdoll‘, a “new modern-day Faustian thriller”, based on the novel by Daniel Cole, it has been announced.
Six people have been murdered, dismembered and sewn into the shape of one grotesque body – nicknamed the “Ragdoll”. Assigned to the shocking case are DS Nathan Rose, recently reinstated to the London Met; his best friend and boss, DI Emily Baxter; and the unit’s new recruit, DC Lake Edmunds. The “Ragdoll Killer” taunts the police by sending them a list of his next victims, with Rose’s name among them. And with those victims to protect, our heroes soon come under intense public scrutiny. A darkly funny, gruesomely imaginative serial killer thriller, ‘Ragdoll’ also captures the fascinating but flawed friends struggling with the consequences of institutionalisation and trauma.
“Ragdoll is a dystopian, mesmerising, wickedly funny piece of hard-boiled detective screen fiction,” comments Philippa Collie Cousins, Commissioning Editor, Drama, UKTV. “It invites the audience into a timeless world of the crime thriller, sending us on a rollercoaster ride with flawed, compelling Rose, his best friend/cop partner Baxter and rookie Edmunds. Together, they tread a maverick route to the truth in a broken world, with touches of Raymond Chandler meets Tina Fey in their memorable banter. Beautifully designed, this atmospheric project mirrors the pure evil, suspense and attention to detail of Silence of the Lambs.”
The series will be adapted into six parts, based on the novel by Daniel Cole, with a writing team led by Freddy Syborn (‘Ms Marvel’, ‘Bad Education’). Alibi will broadcast the drama in the UK will AMC airing in the United States. Sid Gentle Films Ltd, who produced ‘Killing Eve’ and ‘The Durrells’, will produce the “pitch black and darkly witty” thriller. Lizzie Rusbridger (‘Save Me’, ‘Our Girl’) will produce.
“I hope Ragdoll will be a visually exciting, darkly funny thriller in which the personal is the political,” said lead writer Syborn. “Above all, I hope our characters can make you laugh, then break your heart.”
‘Ragdoll’ has been commissioned for Alibi by Philippa Collie Cousins, Commissioning Editor, Drama, with Head of Scripted Pete Thornton and ordered by Emma Ayech, Channel Director for Alibi. At UKTV, Richard Watsham is the Director of Commissioning and Adrian Wills is Genre General Manager for Drama and Lifestyle. The series has been commissioned for AMC by Dan McDermott and Kristin Jones.
“We have enjoyed and been impressed with Sid Gentle Films during our partnership on Killing Eve, so we jumped at the opportunity to work with them again on Ragdoll,” adds Dan McDermott, AMC Networks’ President, Original Programming and Co-President of AMC Studios. “This dark yet comedic project written by the talented Freddy has the makings of a fast-paced yet cerebral thriller featuring the premium storytelling and compelling characters viewers expect from AMC.”
‘Ragdoll‘ will begin filming in Spring 2021 around London, and is set to premiere in late 2021 on Alibi in the UK and AMC in the USA. Cast will be announced at a later date.
