I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel has announced her latest BBC project.
The actor will write, executive produce and star in First Day on Earth, a new ten-part series that centres around a novelist who tries to reconnect with her estranged father in Ghana. Filming is scheduled to begin next year.
"British novelist Henri (Coel) is stuck. Work has dried up, her relationship is going nowhere," reads the official logline for the series.
"So when she's offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa – her parents' homeland, where her estranged father lives – she can't resist the chance to reconnect with him and the country of her heritage.
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"But when she arrives, neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected, and soon Henri has to deal with danger and hypocrisy, form new friendships, lose her illusions, and create a new sense of identity – one that might leave her stronger, but could also break her."
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The series, which will air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer, is co-produced by HBO and made by A24 and Various Artists Limited, the production company behind I May Destroy You, Such Brave Girls and Juice.
Coel shared her excitement at the project in a statement, saying: "I am delighted to be working with VAL, the BBC and HBO again, and to partner with A24; thanks to all of their combined taste, care and expertise, I feel the show is in great hands.
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"The process of creating FDOE thus far has been a beautifully intimate experience, and I am excited to embark on the next phase to eventually offer this as another televisual gift for anyone willing to accompany Henri on what will be a wild odyssey!"
Announcing the series ahead of the Edinburgh TV Festival, Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added: "Michaela is one of those exceptional talents whose work I have long admired. I May Destroy You is one of the reasons I wanted to join the BBC!
"In First Day on Earth, Michaela has created another unmissable series – truly original, heartfelt, hilarious, poetic storytelling and told in a way that only Michaela can. I can't wait for everyone to see it."
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First Day on Earth marks Coel's first TV project in four years. The actor shot to fame with her Channel 4 comedy Chewing Gum, which was based on her 2012 play of the same name.
I May Destroy You premiered in 2020, earning Coel four BAFTA TV Awards and an Emmy. She has since made appearances in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Mr & Mrs Smith.
Coel will next appear opposite Anne Hathaway in an "epic pop melodrama" titled Mother Mary, which follows the relationship of a musician and an iconic fashion designer.
First Day on Earth doesn't have a release date yet.
Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
