dark story
BBC releases first look at gritty new £20m drug drama Dope Girls – and viewers don’t have long to wait
The drama is set to feature gory scenes including one woman chopping up a gangland murder victim
THE BBC has revealed a first-look at its gritty new drama show that looks set to rival Peaky Blinders.
Dope Girls is just days away from making its premiere on the BBC with it tipped to be the next big show after bosses splashed £20million on creating the series.
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The gritty costume drama is set to follow a group of women who are left fighting for survival as World War I draws to a close.
The dark six-part series is based on Marek Kohn’s 1992 book Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground and follows the penniless women as they hit up the underground Soho club scene.
In order to give the show the best chance of success, bosses at the Beeb have handed it a top Saturday night slot with the drama set to kick off on February 22.
The show's creator and boss, Jane Tranter, told the Mirror about the show receiving the primetime slot: "It's a great slot."
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Teasing the show, she added: "I think Dope Girls has a bit of Killing Eve and a bit of Taboo in it, there is great narrative but it’s a bit different - and it’s highly bingeable.
"You get to the end of the episode, they’ve got great hooks - you want to know what’s going to happen next."
It seems that the BBC agree too with Killing Eve and Taboo having both previously aired in the timeslot following their success.
The programme's cast is headed up by Mare of Easttown actress Julianne Nicholson who plays Kate Galloway the single mum who launches the nightclub and embraces a life of criminal activity.
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But with the Metropolitan Police quickly realising the crime and drug-fuelled ways of the club underworld, they soon assign officers to tackle the behaviours and clamp down on the women for good.
Gruesome scenes to be screened in the second episode will see Kate chopping up a gangland villain by using her butchery skills that she had perfected whilst previously working in a village meat shop.
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Lindsay Salt, the director of drama at the BBC, said: “We can’t wait for viewers to discover the bold and brilliant Dope Girls.
"Packed full of complex and electrifying characters from a fascinating time in Britain’s history, this will be must-see, ambitious drama.”
The real-life story that inspired the programme saw single mother Kate Meyrick who built an illicit empire of nightspots around London where hedonists indulged in a booming recreational drugs market.
She scandalised society by creating safe spaces where, behind closed doors, women could also indulge in sex and booze, and gained a reputation as “The most dangerous woman in London.”
She is believed to have made £500,000, equivalent to about £17MILLION today.
BBC crime dramas
The BBC is reopening case files on an all-star line-up of crime dramas this summer.
Here's a refresher on the popular programmes which span six decades.
- Campion: Aired from 1989 to 1990, this detective drama series was adapted from novels by Margery Allingham and stars Peter Davison.
- Dalziel And Pascoe: A gritty detective drama series about a mismatched pair of policemen, based on the award-winning books by Reginald Hill. Aired from 1996 to 2007.
- Death In Paradise: A misanthropic detective inspector is assigned to a Caribbean island against his will. Premiered in 2011 and is still on air to this day.
- Happy Valley: Created by Sally Wainwright, this northern noir follows Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Catherine Cawood – tough, defiant and facing her traumatic past.
- Hinterland: Welsh drama starring Richard Harrington. Brooding DCI Tom Mathias uncovers secrets – and links to his troubled past amid mountainous terrain and close-knit villages. Aired from 2013 to 2016.
- Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Based on the novels of Elizabeth George, this drama series is about upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley and working class DS Barbara Havers. Aired from 2001 to 2007.
- Jonathan Creek: Starring comedian Alan Davies, this comedy-drama series follows a inventor of magic tricks who is often called in to solve puzzling murders. Aired from 1997 to 2016.
- Law & Order: Originally broadcast in 1978, this four-part drama series is about the British judicial system. Stars include Peter Dean and Derek Martin.
- Life On Mars: Beguiling science-fiction police drama following a Manchester policeman who travels back to 1973 following a car accident. Stars John Simm and Philip Glenister. Aired from 2006 to 2007.
- Line Of Duty: Created by Jed Mercurio, this drama follows the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit. Stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, aired from 2012 to 2021.
- Luther: Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther. Aired from 2010 to 2019, with a follow-up film released in 2023.
- New Tricks: Warm-hearted drama following an eccentric group of old-fashioned detectives. Starring Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong and James Bolam. Aired from 2003 to 2015.
- Sherlock: Benedict Cumberbatch stars a modern day Sherlock Holmes, teaming up with Martin Freeman's war veteran Dr Watson to solve impossible crimes. Aired from 2010 to 2017.
- Shetland: Detective drama starring Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O'Donnell, showcasing the dark side of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Premiered in 2013 and is still on air to this day.
- The Cops: Set in the fictional northern town of Stanton, this acclaimed, provocative police drama stars Katy Cavanagh, Rob Dixon and John Henshaw. Aired from 1998 to 2001.
- Waking The Dead: With a cast including Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston and Wil Johnson, this series follows a cold case team who unearths sleeping secrets, but sometimes the past is best left buried. Aired from 2000 to 2011.
- Wallander: Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, Kurt Wallander is unable to unsee the dark crimes he's tasked to investigate while Wallander's job comes at a cost to his family and relationships. Aired from 2008 to 2016.
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