EXCLUSIVE: Good news for TV viewers who can’t seem to get enough of the British Royal family. Following the end of The Crown , another high-profile drama series set in that word is coming together. It hails from Omid Scobie, co-author of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family , and author of Endgame , two of the most-talked-about books on the Royals in the past few years.
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Following a major bidding war, Universal Television has acquired the rights to Scobie and Robin Benway’s upcoming book Royal Spin for series development. I hear nine studios pursued the title, resulting in seven-figure offers.
Marking Scobie’s fiction debut, Royal Spin is a fish-out-of-water workplace drama which follows an American press agent who leaves behind her high-octane career in D.C. for a communications job at Buckingham Palace.
Scobie, a journalist, author and broadcaster, who has covered the British Royal Family since 2011, conceived the story. He is developing and co-creating the series with TV writer-producer-showrunner Emily Fox (The Watchful Eye, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist ), who will write the pilot script and serve as showrunner. Fox, Scobie and Benway all executive produce.
In Royal Spin , with the British monarchy reeling from a wave of scandals, young American politico Lauren O’Connell is plucked from the White House to breathe new life into the Buckingham Palace communications team and help end the royal family’s streak of bad press. But in an institution steeped in tradition and strict protocol, change isn’t easy—or welcome. It turns out the Royal Household can be just as messy and confusing as Capitol Hill. Faced with never-ending culture clashes, displeased royal aides with intimidating titles, and risky new love interests, this fish out of water is determined to prove she’s got what it takes—and might even find herself in the process.
“Offering a fresh take that beautifully blends wit and romance, Royal Spin is a deeply entertaining exploration of the world’s enduring fascination with the royal family,” said Vivian Cannon, Universal TV’s EVP Drama Development. “We’re delighted to have landed the rights to this fascinating story and thrilled to be collaborating with Emily, Omid and Robin to bring it to life for TV audiences.”
Royal Spin , co-written by Scobie and Benway, marks the first collaboration between the two. It was unveiled at the London Book Fair in March, and hit the US TV marketplace at around that time, getting interest from a slew of buyers.
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“We’re so excited to be partnering with Universal Television on the adaptation of Royal Spin , said Fox, Scobie and Benway in a joint statement. “No show or book has ever gone inside the frenzied world of the Buckingham Palace press office, and we can’t wait to throw Lauren—our young American protagonist fresh from the White House communications team—into the deep end of it.”
The fish-out-water premise, culture clashes and romance of Royal Spin have a little bit of Emily Of Paris feel to it. The story also draws parallels to Meghan Markle’s experience as an American woman being thrust into the world of the British Royal family.
Fox’s writing and producing credits include Freeform’s The Watchful Eye , VH1’s Hindsight, Bravo’s Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce, NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist , Netflix’s Daybreak and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and the Warner Bros. film New York Minute . She is repped by UTA, Amplified, and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis & Ryan.
In addition to his books on the Royal family, Scobie is a longtime contributor for ABC News and Good Morning America , and a Harper’s Bazaar editor-at-large. He’s repped by UTA and Hansen Jascobson Teller Hoberman Newman Warren Richman Rush Kaller Gellman Meigs & Fox.
Benway is the bestselling author of nine books for young adults, including Far From the Tree and the upcoming The Girls of Skylark Lane , which have been published in more than 25 countries. She is repped by UTA.
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