See-Saw Unveils New TV Projects: Adaptations of ‘Shifters’ and Debut Novel

Fresh from its hugely impressive haul of nine Emmy nominations for hit Apple TV+ show “Slow Horses,” powerhouse producers See-Saw Films have unveiled a slate of new literary options also being developed for TV.

The British/Australian company has demonstrated its ability to amass acclaim, awards, and audiences on the big screen (“The King’s Speech,” “The Power of the Dog,” “One Life”) and small (alongside “Slow Horses,” it also produces Netflix hit “Heartstopper”). See-Saw has landed the rights to three new pieces of intellectual property, including one that has already been a hit on stage.

Playwright Benedict Lombe’s epic romance “Shifters” — starring “Supacell” lead Tosin Cole and “The Power” actress Heather Ageypong — is currently in the process of transferring to the West End after a sellout run at the Bush Theater. But it’s now also being adapted by Lombe for TV with See-Saw, with plans to extend the story beyond the stage play into a returning series.

“It’s a very sweeping love story borne out of a very specific set of characters,” says Helen Gregory, who oversees See-Saw’s team of exec producers and was recently promoted to joint-MD. “It follows two characters who meet as the only Black kids in their school’s philosophy class and experience the remarkable imprint of first love. The story tracks them as they grow apart, together, apart, together, exploring the challenges and joys of intimacy and how we all have the potential to get in our own way.”

Also in development is “The Romantic Tragedies of a Teenage Drama King,” the debut novel from actor and comedian Harry Trevaldwyn. Trevaldwyn became an online sensation during the pandemic for his social media videos and has since starred in the English remake of “Call My Agent!” and the upcoming “How to Train Your Dragon” live-action feature.

The book — set to be published by Pan Macmillan in early 2025 — follows a young man who decides to reinvent himself and go on a mission to get a boyfriend, despite receiving little encouragement from the world around him. Gregory adds that it is “very funny.” Trevaldwyn is adapting his novel for the screen, with aspirations for it to become a returning series.

Another addition is award-winning author Francesca Segal’s recently published “Welcome to Glorious Tuga,” following a London vet who takes up a fellowship on a remote island to study an endangered breed of tortoises and resolve a personal mystery.

All three titles came to See-Saw following competitive bidding processes. Gregory notes that the market for IP — whether from established or first-time writers — is incredibly hot at the moment with a “lot of buzz and a lot of competition.”

But for Gregory, who joined See-Saw to oversee its TV side just as “Slow Horses” and “Heartstopper” were about to launch, these new projects, and the fact they came to the company, are evidence of a model she helped build. This approach was inspired by how founders and joint CEOs Iain Canning in London and Emile Sherman in Sydney had worked together in film, and how their TV hits had a clear sense of identity.

Rather than having a head of development, See-Saw moved away from a system of “central control.” Instead, across the UK and Australia, they operate nine different slates under the See-Saw umbrella, each led by different exec producers encouraged to follow their passions and seek out creators and new material.

“This really allows people to believe in what they’re doing and us backing that belief,” Gregory says. “Since we set it up, we’ve realized that if we empower our EPs to follow their guts and passions, it replicates in the relationships they have with talent from the outside in.”

The lead exec producers for the new projects include Moss Barclay and Maria Nicholson for “Shifters,” Luke Franklin for “Welcome to Glorious Tuga,” and Patrick Walters for “The Romantic Tragedies of a Teenage Drama King.” Walters also leads the recently launched Fanboy label, which is producing the Sky/Starz black comedy “Sweetpea,” based on CJ Skuse’s 2017 novel and starring Ella Purcell.

“Slow Horses” Season 4 is set to land in early September, with a fifth season currently in production. Meanwhile, the third season of “Heartstopper” arrives on Netflix in October. The film side of See-Saw may be quieter following a busy couple of years with six features, including “One Day,” “Operation Mincemeat,” and “The Royal Hotel.” However, the company recently announced its development of a big-screen return for “The Neverending Story,” and the “Tenzing” biopic, starring Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe.

Gregory believes See-Saw’s transition from a film company dabbling in TV to a full-fledged TV and film company has been a seismic shift for the organization.

“We really do see ourselves as a TV and film company and not as a film company that makes TV,” she says. “I think that shift has been well and truly made.”

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