HBO has given a series order for The Baby, a darkly comic horror series from debut screenwriter Siân Robins-Grace (Kaos, Sex Education). The HBO and Sky co-production is co-created by Robins-Grace and Lucy Gaymer (Gangs of London, Liar) and produced by SISTER and Proverbial Pictures.
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When 38-year-old Natasha is unexpectedly landed with a baby, her life of doing what she wants, when she wants, dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative, and with violent powers, the baby twists Natasha’s life into a horror show. Where does it come from? What does it want? And what lengths will Natasha have to go to in order to get her life back? Terrifying and darkly comic The Baby gleefully deconstructs the “joy of motherhood,” exploring the powerful anxiety of whether or not to have children, questioning who gets to choose “motherhood” and who doesn’t. She doesn’t want a baby. The baby wants her.
“With The Baby, we want to explore the powerful anxiety around the question of whether or not to have children,” said Robins-Grace and Gaymer. “The ambivalence of not knowing, the bafflement at everyone else’s certainty and the suspicion that the whole thing is one millennia-long scam. We’re thrilled to be working with such a phenomenal team of producers to help us bring this weird baby into the world with HBO and Sky.”
“Siân and Lucy’s exploration of motherhood is as funny and resonant as it is twisted,” said Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming. “The Baby gives voice to all the women who just don’t know. We’re thrilled to be partnering again with Jane Featherstone, Carolyn Strauss, and our friends at Sky.”
“The Baby is by turns dark, comedic, and horrifying,” added Cameron Roach, Director of Drama, Sky Studios. “The vision that Siân and Lucy are bringing to life is truly unique.”
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The eight-episode first season will be produced by SISTER and Proverbial Pictures and Executive Produced by Jane Featherstone (Chernobyl, Giri/Haji, The Split), Carolyn Strauss (Chernobyl, Game of Thrones), Naomi de Pear (The Power, Don’t Forget the Driver, Flowers), Katie Carpenter (Landscapers, The Bisexual, Flowers) and Siân Robins-Grace. Joining the female-led creative team as producer is Lucy Gaymer. The Baby is Robins-Grace’s screenwriting debut, following her work on critically acclaimed hit Sex Education, which she developed with Creator Laurie Nunn. The series is a co-production between HBO and Sky and will be filmed in the UK in 2021.
