Glue

28 March 2013

E4 green-lights an original crime drama series from BAFTA winning writer Jack Thorne and Eleven Film (Cast Offs, Rick and Peter).  Twisted, wayward and compelling, Glue is set to take E4 on a wild and thrilling murder mystery ride through the countryside. The 8x 60’ series, commissioned by Head of Drama Piers Wenger, marks Thorne’s return to E4.

Glue is a series about murder and secrets.  When the body of Caleb, a teenage traveller, is found dead underneath the wheels of a tractor, the village’s inhabitants - his friends - are forced to open up their world and watch their secrets spill out.

Secrets that will change their particular brand of country life forever.  Here the stables are the heart of village life.  For owner Jackie, her son James and the friends who work there, life’s all about producing the best horses.  Simple.  But when Ruth, a local girl and junior police officer, becomes involved in the investigation, the simple country life turns out to be darker, more wildly complex than she had ever imagined.

It was bored stable hands experimenting with horse tranquilliser that introduced ketamine to the world.  So is a heady cocktail of fresh country air, slow passage of time and an abundance of class A’s to blame for Caleb’s death?  Ruth is determined to find out and in the process opens up a world even she had no idea about.  

A world where wild kids play chicken on top of silo machines which have blades that can cut your hand into slices no thicker than the ham in your sandwich. The same kids play grain barn-jumping – deadly, if your lungs fill up with the tiny bullets of wheat.  Now someone has played murder.  In the country most folks know something they shouldn’t about someone who probably should have known better, but in this village it’s what folks don’t know about that begins to unravel as the dead boy’s killer is hunted. 

Writer Jack Thorne says; "I grew up in Newbury and was constantly fascinated by life around the stables. In an age where the British countryside feels like its rotting through disrepair and no-one cares, we want to tell a story about ambition, hope, darkness and anarchy."

Sophie Gardiner, commissioning editor says; “We are delighted that Jack Thorne is coming back to E4 with this bold new series.  GLUE follows in the proud tradition of E4 showing the most original and exciting drama for young audiences.  This is E4’s first whodunit drama, adding murder and mystery to the range of shows, from My Mad Fat Diary to Youngers, on the channel’s slate of new British drama series.”

Producers Joel Wilson and Jamie Campbell of Eleven Film add; "British drama often focuses on urban environments and the countryside tends to get neglected.  The modern countryside is complex, exciting and rarely portrayed the way we’re going to show it. Glue should scare the shit out of anyone who thinks they might move there for a quiet life."

Written by Jack Thorne (This Is England, Skins, The Fades). Glue will be produced by Eleven Film (Cast Offs, Rick and Peter) for a 10pm slot on E4.  The producer is Joel Wilson and the executive producers are Jamie Campbell and Jack Thorne.  Entertainment One handles the worldwide rights excluding the UK. 

Glue marks Eleven’s first green light since striking a first look deal with eOne last month to develop new scripted projects for the UK and international markets.  Under the terms of the pact, eOne has exclusive first-look rights to all Eleven Film produced scripted television development, serves as deficit financier and handles worldwide distribution, excluding UK rights for all Eleven Film television projects including its current slate in development.

Ends

Notes to editors

Glue joins My Mad Fat Diary and Youngers on the slate of brand new original drama on E4. 

The first episode of Youngers (6 x 30’ Big Talk Productions) has a current part-consolidated average of 493K. 

After a critically acclaimed first run earlier this year, My Mad Fat Diary (6 x 60, Tiger Aspect) has been re-commissioned for a second series that will begin filming in the summer. The first series performed above slot average for young viewers, attracting an average share of 8.7% and 348K (16-34 year olds) and a series average audience of 619K (all individuals).