EXCLUSIVE: The BBC has acquired the second series of Nick Hornby/Stephen Frears’ high-end short form series State of the Union from Endeavor Content.
See-Saw Films’ second run, a Sundance TV original, moves Stateside and features Brendan Gleeson, Patricia Clarkson and Esco Jouléy. Clarkson plays Ellen, a liberal campaigner who drags her traditional, self-made husband Scott (Gleeson) out of his comfort zone and into a hipster Connecticut coffee shop, where they have 10 minutes before their marriage counselling session to drink a coffee, gather their thoughts and argue. Amongst the bickering they also start to deconstruct their 30-year marriage, discuss betrayals from their past, how they’re changing as people, and what the future of their relationship might look like in a changing world.
The first run, which was also acquired by the BBC, featured Chris O’Dowd and Rosamund Pike in a similar situation.
The show will play out on BBC Two and VoD service BBC iPlayer.
Academy Award-nominated writer-director combo Nick Hornby and Stephen Frears are also behind series two. Executive producers are Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Hornby and Frears. The series producer is Sophie Reynolds.
“The impeccable cast bring to life Nick Hornby’s insightful, nuanced and pleasurable dissection of a relationship on the brink,” said Sue Deeks, Head of Programme Acquisition, BBC.