Sky 1 announces Jamestown, a new original British drama series from Carnival Films, the multi award-winning producers of Downtown Abbey and Sky 1’s most popular drama, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man. The brave story of the birth of a nation, Jamestown charts the early days of the first British settlers as they embark on their lives in America. 

Written by Bill Gallagher (Lark Rise to Candleford, The Paradise), Jamestown is the latest series forming part of Sky’s continued commitment to offer its customers brand new original drama all year round. The eight-part series will air exclusively on Sky 1, and will go into production in April 2016.

Set in 1619, Jamestown follows the settlers as they establish a community in the New World. Amongst those landing on shore are a group of women destined to be married to the men of Jamestown, including three spirited women from England: Jocelyn (Naomi Battrick), Alice (Sophie Rundle) and Verity (Niamh Walsh). Leaving their old lives behind, these women have embarked on this journey to start afresh, fulfil their dreams and become the female pioneers of an exciting new western outpost. 

Battling against inhospitable wilderness, suspicious indigenous people and a host of brutal challenges with ambition, power and entrepreneurial spirit on their side, these pioneers will define a new way of life.  Jamestown will reveal the spirit of adventure and true grit of these early adventurers who travelled in search of a better life. Leading the cast of settlers are Max Beesley, Jason Flemyng, Dean Lennox-Kelly, Shaun Dooley, Stuart Martin, Steven Waddington, Matt Stokoe and Burn Gorman.

With whole-hearted tales of love, affairs, births, marriage and death, Jamestown tells a modern story in a historic setting. With all manner of trials, the settlers come together to conquer and adjust to the realities of their new lives on the other side of the world. Jamestown is a place for them to build new lives and start again but it is also somewhere past secrets can be buried. 

Jamestown was commissioned for Sky by head of drama, Anne Mensah, commissioning editor, Cameron Roach and director of Sky 1, Adam MacDonald. Carnival’s Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant and Richard Fell will executive produce and the producer is Sue de Beauvoir. The series will be distributed by NBCUniversal International Distribution.  

Commenting on the commission, Anne Mensah, Head of Drama, Sky, said: “The wonderful Bill Gallagher has managed to combine an amazing tale of bravery and adventure with unforgettable characterisation and compelling emotion that mark out Jamestown as completely unique.  The women at the centre of our story were choosing a new life in a country from which they could never return – personal stakes on that level make for simply incredible drama.  We are so excited that Carnival are bringing another project of such huge ambition to Sky 1.”

Gareth Neame, MD, Carnival Films adds: “This is a unique project; the birth of America through the eyes of the early English settlers.  Bill Gallagher has created a show which boasts adventure, community and a remarkable range of characters. Combining life and death, power, ambition, love and rivalry, the stakes are high and the drama tantamount.”

The series is one of a number of new Sky original dramas airing in 2016/17, including among others, the return of Gothic horror Penny Dreadful, The Tunnel: Sabotage, Harlan Coben's The Five and The Young Pope, starring Jude Law and Diane Keaton and directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

For further information, please contact:

Sky 

Dominic Collett
Publicist
dominic.collett@bskyb.com 
020 7032 4892

Premier PR

Michael Hickson
Account Director 
michael.hickson@premiercomms.com
020 7292 7377

Notes to Editors 

SKY

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company, serving 21 million customers across five countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose.

Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of £4.9 billion. The group employs 30,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).

For more information visit www.sky.com/corporate

About Carnival Films 

Carnival Films is a division of NBC Universal International Studios and is the UK’s largest drama specialist. The company is responsible for the global TV sensation Downtown Abbey, winner of three Golden Globes and twelve Primetime Emmy awards, including Best Mini-series. It is the most nominated non-US show in the history of the Emmy’s with a total of 59 nominations and is now in over 250 territories worldwide. Among numerous national and international awards, including three Screen Actors Guild Awards and four National Television Awards, the show has even garnered a Guinness World Record for highest critical ratings for a TV show, and the BAFTA Special Award in recognition of its outstanding global success. Downtown Abbey is executive produced by Carnival’s Managing Director Gareth Neame, who sold the production company to NBCUniversal in 2008. 

Founded in 1978, Carnival Films has produced many hundreds of hours of popular drama both in the UK and US, including primetime series such as Poirot, Hotel Babylon, Whitechapel, Dracula and The Philanthropist, as well as mini-series such as C4’s iconic Traffik, David Nicholl’s The 7:39, David Hare’s Worricker Trilogy as well as William Boyd’s BAFTA-winning Any Human Heart, and Peter Morgan’s RTS and BAFTA award-winning The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies. 

Carnival’s The Last Kingdom attracted a strong audience last year on BBC TWO and BBC America and is set to return to BBC TWO screens in 2017 following critical acclaim. Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, produced by Carnival for Sky 1 has also been commissioned for a second series having become the channel’s highest-rated original drama series. The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, a co-production with Neal Street starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Judi Dench for BBC TWO and PBS is scheduled to air in 2016. Carnival Films has recently announced major new projects such as Magnum with Magnum Photos. 

Carnival Films was recognised as best production company at the 2011 Bulldog Awards and 2012 Broadcast Awards.