 |
| Jenna Coleman reprises her role as the Queen in ITV's Victoria for a second series. |
ITV ORDERS SECOND SERIES OF SUCCESSFUL ROYAL DRAMA VICTORIA
ITV’s Head of
Drama Polly Hill and ITV’s Director of Television Kevin Lygo announced today
that critically acclaimed Victoria has been recommissioned for a second series
from screenwriter Daisy Goodwin and producers Mammoth Screen.
The first series starred Jenna Coleman as the
young Queen alongside Tom Hughes as Prince Albert. It launched at the end
of August and has been a huge ratings success, with the series averaging 7.7
million viewers and 29.7% share of viewing, based on consolidated overnights.
This makes it the top rated ITV drama of the year so far.
ITV’s Director of
Television, Kevin Lygo said: "Mammoth and Daisy
Goodwin have brought the characters so vividly to life in this series, and
we're thrilled with the reception for Victoria. We're pleased to be able to
confirm that Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will return to continue the story on
ITV."
Victoria is
produced for ITV by respected drama indie Mammoth Screen. Daisy Goodwin will again
be writing and executive producing the series, alongside Mammoth Screen’s Damien
Timmer and Kate McKerrell (Lost in Austen).
The second series will once again be produced by Paul Frift. ITV’s Senior Drama
Commissioner Victoria Fea will oversee production of the second series from the
Network’s perspective. Victoria is a co-production with MASTERPIECE on PBS,
with Rebecca Eaton serving as executive producer. Victoria premieres on MASTERPIECE on PBS on
January 15, 2017.
Daisy Goodwin said: “Even
though she reigned in the 19th Century, Victoria is a heroine for
our times. In the next series she faces the very modern dilemma of how to
juggle children with her husband and her job. As Victoria will discover, it’s
hard to be a wife, a mother and ruler of the most powerful nation on earth!”
Damien Timmer said: “Following the audience response
to Victoria we are delighted that the extraordinary Jenna Coleman will be
returning to her throne for a second series. The next few years of Victoria's
reign are packed full of extraordinary real life events, with constitutional
crises, scandals at court and personal challenges aplenty for the Queen and
Prince Albert. God Save the Queen!”