ITV announces 'Churchill' drama

ITV has commissioned feature length film Churchill’s Secret starring Michael Gambon as Sir Winston Churchill and Lindsay Duncan as Clementine Churchill.

Daybreak Pictures, part of the Tinopolis Group, will produce the drama with Executive Producers Hal Vogel and David Aukin overseeing production.

Based on Jonathan Smith’s recently published book, The Churchill Secret: KBO, the drama will be adapted by Stewart Harcourt (Love & Marriage, Treasure Island, Poirot).

Set during the summer months of 1953 Churchill—now Prime Minister for the second time and in his late 70’s—suffers a life-threatening stroke, which is kept secret from the world.

Told from the viewpoint of his young Nurse, Millie Appleyard, the drama follows his battle to recover as his long suffering wife Clemmie desperately hopes the stroke will force Winston to retire while his political friends and foe scheme to plot who will succeed him.

Meanwhile his adult children descend on Chartwell, unsure if he will pull through, as tensions within his family begin to surface.

Filming will begin in June 2015 in London and at Churchill’s principal family home, Chartwell in Kent.

ITV’s director of Drama Steve November and Controller of Drama Victoria Fea have commissioned the drama. “Churchill’s Secret is the extraordinary and compelling story of how one of our country’s most famous political figures battled back from life-threatening illness to hold on to power, ” said Steve. “We’re delighted to commission Churchill’s Secret from Daybreak Pictures and to be working with Michael Gambon as Sir Winston Churchill and Lindsay Duncan as his wife Clemmie,” he added.