BBC1, Knight adapt Rogue Heroes

Vienna Blood will air on BBC2 later this year

BBC1 in the UK has commissioned a drama series based on Ben Macintyre’s bestselling factual book SAS: Rogue Heroes, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight adapting.

The TV version of the book, which tells the story of the origins of the elite UK special forces unit, will be produced by Endemol Shine-owned UK prodco Kudos, which is known for series including ITV crime drama Broadchurch and Sky Atlantic’s adaptation of The Bridge (The Tunnel).

Macintyre’s book was written with unique access to secret SAS archives. The series will focus on the flawed, reckless and brave group of maverick officers who formed the unit in the darkest days of the Second World War.

The 6×60’ series has been commissioned by BBC drama controller Piers Wenger and director of content Charlotte Moore. It will be executive produced by Karen Wilson, Martin Haines and Emma Kingsman-Lloyd for Kudos and Tommy Bulfin for BBC1. Endemol Shine International holds global distribution rights.

In related news, the BBC has acquired crime drama Vienna Blood from Red Arrow Studios International. The three-part, feature-length series is based on the bestselling Liebermann novels by Frank Tallis. It will air on BBC2 later this year.

A coproduction between German pubcaster ZDF and Austria’s ORF, the show has been filmed in English in Vienna. Red Arrow Studios International led the co-financing of the series, which is produced by Endor Productions and MR Film.

Written by Steve Thompson (Sherlock), it stars Matthew Beard (The Imitation Game) and Juergen Maurer (Tatort).

In the show, Max Liebermann (Beard) is a brilliant young English doctor studying under psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. He meets Oskar Rheinhardt (Maurer), an Austrian detective, and the pair go on to tackle some of Vienna’s most mysterious cases.