The deal with TVP has been brokered by BBC Worldwide and Apple Film Production in Poland. Apple Film Production led by Dariusz Jabłoński will act as the Polish co-producer on the series for TVP. BBC Worldwide is the global distributor for the series.
The Passing Bells tells the story through the eyes of two very ordinary and very young men who enlist in a war they expect will be over within months. As the conflict unfolds, so do the boys stories as they grow up amid the horror of war, lose their friends and find love.
The cast includes two young actors, Paddy Gibson and Jack Lowden and their war girlfriends: Sabrina Bartlett and Polish actress Erika Markuszewska, a student of the Warsaw Theatre School making her first appearance on screen in this drama.
The Passing Bells has been written by award-winning writer Tony Jordan (EastEnders, Life on Mars, Hustle) and is produced by Red Planet Pictures.
“This is a hugely important project for British television in this”, said Tony Jordan, scriptwriter and owner of Red Planet Pictures, “the centenary of the First World War, a conflict that shaped Europe as we know it today. It was always going to be vital to find a meaningful European partner for this project and working with TVP is something Red Planet is very excited about.”
Juliusz Braun, President of TVP: “The first co-production with BBC, The Spies of Warsaw, was very well received internationally and, importantly, by Polish viewers. This is why we have again embarked on a joint project to produce The Passing Bells. The commitment to serve the Polish audience coupled with the secured contribution from Polish artists, including the cast, and the economic effect of foreign funds attracted to and spent in Poland – this is clearly a promotional, cultural and economic success for us.”
Ben Donald, Executive Producer for International Drama at BBC Worldwide, the global distributor of the series, said: “We are delighted to be able to build on the relationship with TVP with this second collaboration, and especially to come together on such an important piece of commemorative drama whose emotional impact we are confident will captivate audiences in Poland and indeed globally. “
Similarly, Dariusz Jabłoński of Apple Film Production: “With its international experience and reputation, Apple Film Production brings the best international projects and TVP, the public broadcaster with a vision, courage and ambition to take the Polish audiences into the world of international TV drama, is boldly taking the challenge, which makes the collaboration with BBC possible. We are now meeting for the second time to produce a project written by an outstanding British scriptwriter Tony Jordan and his Red Planet Pictures. Moreover, all the filming will be done in Poland by an international team of outstanding artists, including several Poles and we are very proud of this. Lastly, each zloty spent by TVP on this series will be matched by four zlotys spent by foreign producers in Poland.”
Director of TVP Channel 1 Piotr Radziszewski is also excited about this collaboration: “The Passing Bells series will be one of the highlights of the autumn TVP1 programming and the main drama developed to mark the centenary of WW1. With this joint project, I hope we will repeat the global success of the previous collaboration.”
The Passing Bells is directed by Brendan Maher, an award-winning Australian director with more the 20 years of experience.
The project’s cinematographers are Jacek Petrycki, multiple award winner in Poland and internationally, BAFTA laureate for The Betrayed, with many years of experience in working for BBC and Channel 4, director of photography for Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Amator and Agnieszka Holland’s Aktorzy prowincjonalni, Gorączka, Kobieta samotna, Europa, Europa) and Tomasz Naumiuk, a young but experienced cinematographer (series: Krew z krwi, Prawo Agaty, feature Być jak Kazimierz Deyna).
Ashleigh Jeffres will be the scenographer; his portfolio includes the epic Game of Thrones. He will be working with Ewa Skoczkowska, an award-winning (EMMY) Polish scenographer.
Commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama and Danny Cohen, Former Director of Television, BBC, The Passing Bells will form a key part of BBC One’s programming to mark the centenary of World War One and will appear on Poland’s national broadcaster (TVP) in November 2014 to coincide with celebrations to mark the rebirth of the Polish nation at the end of World War One.
Apart from the 5 x 30” format the series will also be available in two additional formats, 4 x 45’ and 2 x 90’.
Red Planet Pictures, founded by Tony Jordan in 2005 has a mission to produce intelligent and popular series. This has become a trademark of Jordan both as a writer and producer. His company produced such projects as The Nativity and Death in Paradise. Red Planet Pictures works on numerous projects commissioned by broadcasters in the UK, Europe and the US.
The Polish co-producer is Apple Film Production, one of the leading Polish film production companies with more than 20 years of experience, renowned for its supreme quality productions and international co-productions. Apple Film Production produced Władysław Pasikowski’s Glina [The Cop] hailed by critics ‘Poland’s best detective series ever’ and co-produced a mini-series The Spies of Warsaw based on the bestselling novel by Alan Furst, which was the first ever joint project between TVP and the BBC.
BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide exists to support the BBC public service mission and to maximise profits on its behalf. It does this through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also builds the reach and reputation of the BBC brand overseas and champions British creativity.
