Brand new BBC Three drama Overshadowed lands on the channel this autumn
I am thrilled that Overshadowed has been commissioned for BBC Three. It is such an important, modern story of our times, told in an exciting way by two young people
BBC Three’s brand new short-form drama series Overshadowed, from Kay Mellor’s production company Rollem, will air on the channel this autumn as a box set.
Based on Eva O’Connor’s award winning play, Overshadowed tells the story of a young Irish vlogger called Imogene (Michelle Fox – Doctors) whose life spirals out of control when she meets the monster of anorexia personified.
Starring a host of fresh new talent, this compelling, haunting and funny series has been written by Irish television newcomers Eva O’Connor and Hildegard Ryan.
Shot in an innovative new format, Overshadowed tells Imogene’s story through a series of vlogs. All eight episodes are told from Imo’s point of view, giving a unique documentary-style insight into teenage life and her increasingly fragile mental state.
Imo used to be sparkly, vivacious and outgoing. Recently however she’s becoming withdrawn, gaunt and obsessed with exercise. The reason? Her new “best friend” Anna (Eva O’Connor). She’s casting a dark shadow over Imo’s life and won’t rest until Imo is a shadow of her former self.
Kay Mellor, Rollem Productions Executive Producer, says: “I am so excited and thrilled that Overshadowed has been commissioned for BBC Three. It is such an important, modern story of our times, told in an innovative and exciting way by two young people. It has long been a dream of mine to be able to help give a voice to new writers and I am delighted to be championing Eva O’Connor and Hildegard Ryan, who have something really important to say.”
Eva O’Connor and Hildegard Ryan say: “We are delighted to be working with Kay, her amazing team at Rollem Productions and BBC Three to bring this story, which is very close to our hearts, to life. We hope Overshadowed will be a fresh and innovative take on eating disorders and the way they can take over young people’s lives. We feel the YouTube style episodes are the perfect way to chart Imogene’s journey and capture the minds of young audiences.”
Elizabeth Kilgarriff, Senior Commissioning Editor for BBC Drama, says: “Overshadowed is an incredibly exciting piece that showcases BBC Three’s ambition to support young talent telling stories that matter. This is an important subject told from a compelling and unflinchingly honest perspective by the brilliant Eva and Hildegard and, with the support and experience of the wonderful Kay Mellor and Sian Palfrey, this is going to be a very special piece for the BBC Three audience.”
Overshadowed is an 8 x 10’ drama series and has been commissioned by Damian Kavanagh and Piers Wenger for BBC Three. It will be directed by Hildegard Ryan and produced by Sian Palfrey. The series will be produced by Rollem Productions. The Executive Producers are Kay Mellor for Rollem and Elizabeth Kilgarriff for the BBC. (BBC)
Will Overshadowed’s boxset release turn out to be a cancellation burn-off, or will it create enough buzz and viewership for Season 2 renewal? Stay tuned…
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