BBC Developing ‘Peaky Blinders’ Creator Steven Knight’s University Drama In Birmingham

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC is developing Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight‘s drama based in a Birmingham university, with a view to potentially turning it into a returnable series.

The as-yet-untitled project, which follows the lives of a group of young people at one of the country’s second-largest city’s five universities, is being produced out of Knight’s new multimillion pound Digbeth Loc. Studios in the West Midlands, which opened a few months ago. Banijay-backed Kudos and BBC Studios are co-producing.

The university drama is in early-stage development but we understand that, if greenlit, the series is being positioned as a potential returner that could air in primetime. UK TV trade Broadcast previously reported that he was developing the university series but at that point a broadcaster was not attached.

Deadline brings you the news in the days after the BBC canceled Doctors – the Birmingham-produced drama that kickstarted the careers of a whole host of prominent British scribes – after 23 years, which the broadcaster put down to “super inflation in drama production.”

The BBC has said the money saved on Doctors will be spent on a “range of new programming in the region.” While no decisions have been made and Knight’s drama hasn’t been greenlit, it could fit the bill as a locally-produced drama honing local talent. Earlier this year, the BBC shifted production of another long-running returner, Silent Witness, to the West Midlands, at which point it said it will deliver at least two “high-impact” scripted series per year from the region while increasing investment in training and development.

Knight is acting as lead writer on the university drama with a writers room of younger people.

The prolific Peaky Blinders creator is focusing much of his energy at present on building up production in Birmingham and telling stories from his home city. This Town, Knight’s semi-autobiographical drama that was also filmed at Digbeth Loc, will air on the BBC shortly.

Meanwhile, Knight is writing an upcoming Star Wars movie starring Daisy Ridley, penning Paramount Pictures’ remake of Alfred Hitchock’s Vertigo and working on a TV version of William Shakespeare’s First Folio with Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire.

The BBC declined to comment on the development.