Filming has begun in the seaside town of Margate for Dreamland; a brand-new Sky Original comedy starring Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who) and Lily Allen (How to Build a Girl) in her debut TV role.
Based on Sky’s 2018 BAFTA-winning short of the same name, which was written by Sharon Horgan and produced by Merman, Dreamland is a comedy-drama about secrets, lies, loves and aspirations within a family of four sisters. Set in the sun-drenched British seaside town of Margate, it is a dark comedic exploration of multi-generational female relationships, and their (somewhat dysfunctional) family dynamics.
Eldest sister Trish (Agyeman) is pregnant for the third time with her partner Spence (Kiell Smith- Bynoe). And this time, she’s decided: it’s going to be a girl. Her two sisters Clare (Gabby Best) and Leila (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) rally around her with their mum (Frances Barber) and their Margate- legend nan (Sheila Reid), “manifesting” a little girl at Trish’s ‘mani-festival’., But when their other sister, Mel (Allen), makes an unexpected reappearance back into their lives, her return threatens to destabilise the entire family. A knock on their door and their ‘Dreamland’ is no more...
The series also features a guest star appearance from Samantha Bond as Orla.
The Sky Original series is produced by Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s production company Merman, in association with Sky Studios. From Merman, the team behind some of the most distinctive, award-winning comedies of recent years, including Motherland (BBC Two), Frayed (Sky Max) and This Way Up (Channel 4), Dreamland promises a heartfelt exploration of the family relationships between these strong, vibrant women.
Dreamland was commissioned by Jon Mountague, Director of Comedy, Sky Studios and Alex Moody, Commissioning Editor, Sky Studios, for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content, Sky UK. The series is executive produced by Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan for Merman with Jane Bell as Producer and Emma Jane Unsworth as Showrunner and Associate Producer. Alex Moody serves as Executive Producer for Sky Studios. Written by Emma Jane Unsworth, Gabby Best, Sharma Walfall and Sarah Kendall, the series will be directed by Ellie Heydon. NBCUniversal Global Distribution handle international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios.
Dreamland will air on Sky Comedy and streaming service NOW in 2023.
