ITV1 has kicked off its drive for upmarket contemporary drama by snapping up He Kills Coppers, the follow-up to the BBC's acclaimed adaptation of Jake Arnott's novel The Long Firm.
ITV1 has kicked off its drive for upmarket contemporary drama by snapping up He Kills Coppers, the follow-up to the BBC's acclaimed adaptation of Jake Arnott's novel The Long Firm.

Ecosse Films is making the 3 x 60-minute serial, which will star Maureen Lipman, Rafe Spall and Kelly Reilly. The drama spans two decades and begins in 1966 on the day of the World Cup Final, when three policemen are murdered.

ITV director of drama Laura Mackie, who commissioned He Kills Coppers, said it was a passionate and moving story.

She said: 'Ed Whitmore's adaptation of Jake Arnott's provocative novel captures the changing face of London, from the gangland stranglehold on the world of vice in the 1960s to the greedy capitalism of the Thatcherite era in the 1980s.'

Mackie was one of the executive producers on the BBC's adaptation of Arnott's original portrayal of 1960s east London gangland, The Long Firm. It was a co-production between BBC drama and BBC America and was a huge success for the corporation, picking up Bafta and RTS awards.

Adrian Shergold is directing He Kills Coppers, with David Boulter producing and Ecosse Films' Douglas Rae executive pro-ducing.

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