Tabloid journalism has been a part of culture for a long time and now Starz would like to tell a tale of the rise of tabloid journalism in the 1970s, along with the rise of class warfare and the sexual revolution. That seems like a lot of themes to attempt to get across in a one-hour drama and while Starz’s newest project seems pretty ambitious, the network has signed on a pretty big name to bring the tale to life.
Piers Morgan has joined the drama project, called Fleet Street, at Starz. Unfortunately, he won’t be acting in the project if it goes to pilot, but he will be executive producing the drama and his tenure as a talking head on television and as a journalist should help him immensely in the role. As the title implies, Fleet Street will be set in England during the 1970s, which also makes Morgan a prime candidate for the drama, as he worked in Britain before coming to the US. According to THR, the journalist is super stoked about the project.
In the early '70s, [Fleet Street] became the breeding ground for modern popular journalism, as foreign media tycoons stomped over the British establishment to re-define 'news,' suddenly exposing the rich, powerful and famous in spectacular front-page scoops. It was the dawn of the celebrity era, in all its gruesome detail -- a revolution that changed pop culture, and the relationship between the press and politicians, royals and stars. Fleet Street in the '70s was a hotbed of scoops, shagging, flairs and devastating world that was also unbelievably exciting. Danny Brocklehurst has brought Fleet Street to life in a way that I believe will grip audiences.”
As Morgan notes, Danny Brocklehurst will pen the pilot and executive produce. Additional executive producing credits will go to Justin Berfield, Jason Felts, John Ferriter, and Michael Forman.
Morgan’s oration skills make the drama project sound compelling, but it still has a ways to go before it becomes an actual part of Starz’s schedule. The subscription cable network has its hands full right now with a new season of Magic City on its way, as well as the renewal of Da Vinci’s Demons and The White Queen in the works. With Morgan’s background and experience at the helm, Fleet Street has a good shot at making it to pilot and we’ll let you know if the drama does move forward.
