Sky 1 has announced it is joining forces with Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning Carnival Films and legendary comic book writer Stan Lee on his first TV drama for the UK, titled “Lucky Man.”
Commissioned by Sky 1 Director, Adam MacDonald, Sky’s Head of Drama, Anne Mensah and Commissioning Editor, Cameron Roach, the ten episode series from the producers of “Downton Abbey,” Carnival Films, is based on an original idea by Stan Lee and is being made in collaboration with Lee’s multi-media entertainment company POW! Entertainment. It will debut on the channel in 2016.
Starring in the drama are James Nesbitt (“The Hobbit” Trilogy, The Missing), Eve Best (“Nurse Jackie,” “The Honourable Woman”), Sienna Guillory (“Fortitude,” “Luther,” Love Actually), Amara Karan (The Darjeeling Limited, “Kidnap and Ransom”), Darren Boyd (Spy, “Fortitude,” “Case Sensitive”), Omid Djalili (“Moonfleet,” Pirates of the Caribbean), Jing Lusi (“Holby City”) and Kenneth Tsang (Die Another Day).
“Lucky Man” is the story of DI Harry Clayton (James Nesbitt), a cop from Central London’s notorious Murder Squad, who is given a charm that seems to confer upon the wearer the ability to control luck.
Harry is down on his luck; his wife (Eve Best) and child have left him due to his gambling habit, his boss thinks he’s in league with the devil and he has a huge debt to an infamous underworld crime boss who is threatening his life.
A chance meeting with a mysterious woman who gives him an ancient bracelet changes everything… It appears to give Harry control over luck itself, but at what cost? What is luck anyway, and is one man’s luck always another’s misfortune? DI Harry Clayton is about to find out…
Adam MacDonald, Director of Sky 1 commented: “Lucky Man is a visually striking crime thriller from the legend that is Stan Lee for Sky 1. The show is mysterious, thrilling, energetic and sure to appeal to our customers. I’m honoured that Sky 1 is working with Stan Lee on his first UK TV drama and I can’t wait for our customers to experience the gifts and misfortunes that luck can bring”.
Stan Lee, Chief Creative Officer of POW! Entertainment commented: “Luck has always been a fascinating subject to me, and I am excited to finally share that fascination with audiences around the world. With all the creative projects I have worked on, I sure am a lucky man myself and I am excited to be working with Sky 1 and Carnival Films on this latest project”.
Richard Fell, Executive Producer said: “Lucky Man is a different kind of superhero show – Stan has come up with an absolutely brilliant idea; something that we can all relate to. What if you could control luck? Would that be the greatest thing you could give someone, or their worst nightmare? It’s a twist which brings the whole superhero genre right back down to earth, which we hope will appeal to the Sky 1 audience.”
Richard Fell and Gareth Neame will Executive Produce for Carnival Films and Anne Mensah and Beverley Booker for Sky, with Stan Lee (Spider-Man, X–Men, The Fantastic Four) and producing partner Gill Champion as Co-Executive Producers, alongside writer and co- creator Neil Biswas (The Take, Bradford Riots). Phil Temple is the development producer for Carnival Films.
The series will be distributed globally by NBCUniversal International Distribution.
