Lennie James To Star In ‘Mr Loverman’ Adaptation Of Acclaimed Bernardine Evaristo Novel For BBC

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‘Mr Loverman‘, an adaptation of the acclaimed 2013 novel by the Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, has been announced for BBC One and iPlayer, with the brilliant Lennie James starring as the lead.

Barrington Jedidiah Walker, Esq. (James) Barry to his mates. Trouble to his wife, his daughters, and his lover. Seventy years old, Antiguan-born, exuberant Hackney personality, Barry is renowned for his dapper taste and fondness for retro suits. Carmel, his wife of 50 years, senses that Barry has been cheating on her with other women. Little does she know what’s really going on: a secret, decades-long passionate affair with his best friend and soulmate, Morris. Now entering the next chapter of his life, Barry has big choices to make that will force his whole family to question their own futures.

Bringing to life Bernardine Evaristo’s ground-breaking exploration of Britain’s older Caribbean community, ‘Mr Loverman’ paints an incisive portrait of a family, exploring aspirations and regret, parenthood, and social expectations about sexual orientation and love.

“I can’t wait to get Barrington’s swagger on and help tell this crucial and complicated love story,” said Lennie James. “As funny as it is sad. As full of heart as it is heartache…”

Lennie James, who stars as the exuberant protagonist Barrington Jedidiah Walker, is an actor, screenwriter, and playwright, who is probably best known to our audience as Morgan Jones in ‘The Walking Dead’ and its spin-off, ‘Fear the Walking Dead’. He also starred as DCI Tony Gates in ‘Line of Duty’ season one, as Detective Joe Geddes in the AMC drama ‘Low Winter Sun’, and created and starred in the BAFTA-winning Sky Original drama ‘Save Me’.

The eight-part drama is adapted by Nathaniel Price (The Outlaws, Noughts & Crosses), and directed by Hong Khaou (Baptiste, Lilting, Monsoon). Filming will begin later this year, with further casting to be announced in due course.

“From the moment I read Mr Loverman I fell in love with Barry, Morris, Carmel and the entire Walker family. Bernardine’s novel is not only a beautiful, truthful story, full deeply human characters, it is a vitally important one,” said Mr Loverman screenwriter, Nathaniel Price. “It is unflinching in its challenge of cultural myths and stereotypes, and an exhibition of just how deep and far-reaching the consequences of prejudice and fear can be. It has been an honour and a privilege to have had the chance to adapt this seminal work with the brilliant team at Fable to bring these unforgettable characters to life on screen.”

Novel author, Bernardine Evaristo,  adds: “I am thrilled that Mr Loverman is being adapted into television drama. I love the idea of them stepping beyond the pages of the novel and into people’s living rooms and lives.”

Fable Pictures (Wild Rose, Rocks) will produce the drama for the BBC. Sony Pictures Television (SPT) will distribute the series internationally.

“We have long been fans of both Bernardine Evaristo’s work and the indomitable Lennie James – to bring the two together in an adaptation of Mr Loverman for the BBC with Nathaniel Price’s superb scripts has been a highlight of Fable Pictures to date,” said Faye Ward, Executive Producer for Fable Pictures. “It’s got everything you could wish for in its rich and beautiful story, and dives right to the heart of family with all its complexities.”

‘Mr Loverman’ will be executive produced by Faye Ward, Hannah Farrell and Hannah Price for Fable Pictures, and Jo McClellan for the BBC. Lennie James will executive produce and Nathaniel Price will associate produce. Fable Pictures is a SPT-backed company.

“Mr Loverman is a must-read novel, and in the skilled hands of Nathaniel, Lennie and the Fable team it’s soon to be must-see television,” commented Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. “I can’t think of a more perfect team to bring Bernardine’s exquisite story to the screen.”

‘Mr Loverman‘ does not have a premiere date, but will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.