Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: Ben Aaronovitch, doctor who, Rivers of London

Rivers of London: Ben Aaronovitch Novels Set for TV Series Adapt

Former Doctor Who writer Ben Aaronovitch's bestselling London fantasy book series "Rivers of London" is finally getting adapted for TV.

Published Tue, 12 Nov 2024 08:37:08 -0600

by Adi Tantimedh

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After years of being passed from one production company to another, former Doctor Who writer Ben Aaronovitch's bestselling London fantasy book series Rivers of London is finally getting a TV series. Sky Studios has picked up the TV adaptation of Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London and is developing it with Tom Winchester's drama indie company Pure Fiction. With Sky Studios attached, the series will bow on Sky in the UK. Deadline reported that there is U.S. buyer interest but no deal yet.

Rivers of London: Ben Aaronovitch Books Finally Getting TV Series — "Rivers of London" cover art: JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.

Rivers of London was retitled Midnight Riot for its US edition and follows a young officer in London's Met Police, Peter Grant. After working on a murder case with a witness who happens to be a ghost, he is signed up for a unit on the force dedicated to magic and the supernatural. Subsequent cases take in gods and goddesses, magic, and many forms of supernatural activity.

The first Rivers of London novel was released in 2011 and has spawned a series that has regularly featured on bestseller lists and also takes in novellas, and a long-running comics and graphic novel series that are in-canon with the latter written or co-written by Aaronovitch's former Doctor Who boss Andrew Cartmel.

Pure Fiction and Sky Studios are working on the series, which is, of course, an adaptation of the first book, Rivers of London. See Saw – the production company behind Slow Horses – is an investor in Pure Fiction and a production partner on the Rivers of London series. Aaronovitch is an Executive Producer through his own Unnecessary Logo banner. His books, novellas, and graphic novels have sold more than 8 million copies worldwide.

Several veteran writers and playwrights, many seasoned in the fantasy genre, were assembled for a U.S.-style writers' room, including John Jackson, whose credits include The Gentleman, as the lead writer. Tobi King Bakare, whose on-screen credits include the brilliant Mikaela Cole series I May Destroy You, also took part, as did Kara Smith, who worked on Netflix's Lockwood & Co, Joshua St Johnson of Grantchester, Tolula Dada from Gangs of London, and Robin French from Sanditon are also in the writing staff.