EXCLUSIVE: Heather Graham, Stephen Mangan and Jo Hartley have been set to star in Bliss. The double-life comedy series for Sky Atlantic hails from Arrested Development alum David Cross who will write and direct. A co-production of Merman and Big Talk, in association with Cross’ Liberal Jew-Run Media Productions, the six-part series adds to Sky Atlantic’s lineup of original comedy for 2017, which also includes Sick Note and The Trip To Spain. Shooting on Bliss starts later this month in London and Bristol.
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Mangan (Episodes) plays Andrew, a successful travel writer who, through extenuating circumstances, finds himself living between two sets of wives and children whose existences are unknown to each other. In a constant state of moral crisis, he must find a way to balance his time and energies between wife Kim (Graham) and teenage daughter Christina, while traveling back and forth across Bristol to his other family, wife Denise, (This Is England‘s Hartley) and their teenage son Kris. As the two worlds become ever harder to contain, so does Andrew’s sanity, leading him to increasingly drastic measures to protect the two families he loves.
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Cross says, “This project is unlike anything I’ve ever done before, in so far as I’ve never been to Bristol. Is it nice? Heard good things. Oh also there’s a scene that takes place in Weston-Super-Mare so there’s that.”
Mangan adds, “I’ve always wanted two wives so this project is very close to my heart. And I get to work with the super-talent that is David Cross. I can’t wait.” Graham calls Cross’ script “incredibly funny and wonderful.”
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Graham last appeared on TV in TBS’ Angie Tribeca; she’s repped by Gersh. Mangan is wrapping up Showtime’s Episodes which airs its 5th and final season in 2017; he’s repped by Independent Talent. Hartley was recently in Ricky Gervais’ David Brent: Life On The Road and is also with Independent. Emmy-winner Cross previously created Netflix’s Brit-centric The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret and is repped by UTA.
Bliss was commissioned for Sky by Head of Comedy, Jon Mountague, and Zai Bennett, director of Sky Atlantic. Cross is exec producing with Merman’s Clelia Mountford producing. Big Talk’s Kenton Allen and Matthew Justice, and Merman’s Sharon Horgan are also exec producing. ITV Global Entertainment is handling international distribution.
