Banijay Rights Sets New Returning Drama Series ‘Runners’ With Writer John Preston, Clearwood Films (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

K.J. Yossman Banijay Rights has set a new returning drama series titled “Runners” with writer John Preston (pictured above, left) and exec producer Ellie Wood (pictured above, right) of Clearwood Films, the team behind “Stonehouse” and “The Dig.” “Runners” tells the story of the world’s first police force, the Bow Street Runners, who were formed in the 1740s in London, which at the time was facing a colossal crime wave.

The Chief Magistrate of London at the time, Heny Fielding (who also happened to be a celebrated novelist), decided to take on this criminal underworld by assembling a group of police.“This extraordinary story will tell of how a group of just six police officers, none with any training or experience, set about imposing law and order on a completely lawless society and embarked on solving one of the strangest cases of its time – one with momentous political and social ramifications,” reads the logline.

Wood (“Bleak House”) previously produced the film adaptation of Preston’s novel “The Dig” for Netflix, which starred Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, and is producing his screenwriting debut “Stonehouse” for ITV/BritBox International, featuring Matthew Macfayden and Keeley Hawes.

Preston also wrote “A Very English Scandal,” which was adapted into a TV drama starring Hugh Grant and Ben Wishaw. Wood has a first look development deal with Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay.