Sky has unveiled its 2013 drama slate, the biggest in the broadcaster’s history, headlined by a two-part finale for Mad Dogs and a new mini-series based on the life of James Bond creator Ian Fleming. The announcement forms part of Sky’s pledge to spend £600 million a year on home-grown programming by 2014.
Mad Dogs: The Finale brings the Sky 1 thriller to a close, with Max Beesley, Philip Glenister, John Simm and Marc Warren reuniting for a two-part conclusion to the story of the four friends whose holiday spiralled into violence and chaos. Written by series creator Cris Cole, it is the fourth and final outing for the show, with the third series airing this spring ahead of it.
Over on Sky Atlantic, Fleming is a four-part drama from Ecosse Films starring Dominic Cooper as the young Ian Fleming, charting the wartime exploits in naval intelligence that fed into his most famous creation. Directed by Mat Whitecross, it is a co-production with BBC America and will air later this year.
The wider slate includes Critical, a medical drama from Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio; The Smoke, Lucy Kirkwood’s series about a London fire crew starring Jamie Bamber and Jodie Whittaker; and the period piece Moonfleet, all for Sky 1. Strike Back returns for a fourth series, while Sky Atlantic adds The Tunnel, an Anglo-French reworking of the Scandinavian hit The Bridge. Sky Living lines up a season of dramas from leading female screenwriters including Sally Wainwright, and Sky Arts brings back Playhouse Presents with directorial debuts from Idris Elba, Matt Smith and Marc Warren.