September 5th 2024.
After more than two decades, a BBC political drama that caused quite a stir when it first aired in 2002 is finally making a comeback on our screens. The controversial series, known as The Project, was directed by Peter Kosminsky and written by Leigh Jackson. Starring the talented Matthew Macfadyen, Naomie Harris, and Paloma Baeza, it followed the lives of young Labour party activists as they navigated their way from university to the power corridors of Westminster.
The two-part drama was based on real-life interviews with 120 advisers and MPs and aimed to fictionalize the events that took place during the rise of New Labour. At the time, it was seen as a response to Alistair Campbell and his team's "dirty tricks" and it didn't go unnoticed. In fact, the series allegedly angered Campbell himself, resulting in it being pulled from screens and made unavailable for streaming for the past 22 years.
But now, with the new relevance brought on by Sir Keir Starmer's landslide victory in July, Kosminsky has managed to convince the BBC to bring The Project back. "It's the first time The Project has been broadcast since 2002 or even seen. But it's genuinely a piece that turns out to have extraordinarily relevant elements to the current situation," he shared with the i paper.
It's quite interesting to note that the series was deemed controversial back then for its striking similarities to real events, such as Labour's failure to win the 1992 General Election and their eventual landslide victory in 1997. It also touched upon the party's journey towards Blairism and the alleged "dirty tricks" used by Campbell and his team. In fact, the director admitted that some scenes were inspired by real events, like when Macfadyen's character Paul searched through dustbins for incriminating letters.
Reflecting on the series, Kosminsky praised the BBC for taking a chance on the show and bringing it back for a new generation to see. He even expressed his interest in rebooting The Project for the Starmer era, saying, "If somebody said, 'We'd like you to write the story of these two people 20 years on', I'd take it very seriously." However, he did question whether the series could be made today due to the lack of funding for British public broadcasters.
Since The Project, Kosminsky has gone on to direct other successful shows like Wolf Hall, The State, and The Undeclared War. He is currently working on a series about the 2017 Grenfell tower fire. As for the controversy surrounding the series, The Agency has reached out to Alastair Campbell's representatives for comment.
So mark your calendars, because The Project, introduced by Peter Kosminsky, will be airing on Sunday, September 15 at 10 pm on BBC Four and will also be available for streaming on BBC iPlayer. And if you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures to share, don't hesitate to get in touch with the entertainment team at The Agency.
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