5 Commission Drama Adaptation of Graham Norton’s Best-selling Novel, Forever Home

Starring Amy Nuttall, Douglas Henshall, Denise Welch, Kevin Whately, Samantha Bond, Lewis Cope, Jenny Walser, Shane Zaza, and James Baxter.

London, Thursday 15th January: 5 today announce new drama series Forever Home (6x60’), an adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by award-winning broadcaster, comedian, writer and actor Graham Norton. The series is co-produced by FilmNation Entertainment and The Mediapro Studio, supported by the North East Production Fund and North East Screen.   

The six-part series follows the story of a second wife dealing with the memories of the woman who went before her. When Carol discovers a long-dead body hidden in the basement of her home, the horrific realization is undeniable – she's living with a killer. The story that her husband's first wife ran away never to be seen again now looks like a lie, and the fact he’s insisted on never selling the house suddenly makes sense. But one dark family secret is soon to be replaced by another…   

Confirmed cast include Amy Nuttall (The Feud, Downton Abbey), Douglas Henshall (The Revenge Club, Shetland), Denise Welch (Tip Toe, Waterloo Road), Kevin Whately (Inspector Morse, Lewis), Samantha Bond (The Marlow Murder Club, The Inheritance), Lewis Cope (Emmerdale, Strictly Come Dancing), Jenny Walser (Heartstopper, Sweetpea S2), Shane Zaza (Invasion, Big Boys), and James Baxter (Alma’s Not Normal, Waterloo Road).    

Forever Home is commissioned by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer and Head of Scripted, Paramount UK, and Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, 5. The adaptation is being penned by Clara Salaman (Too Close) who will Executive Produce alongside Graham Norton. FilmNation Entertainment’s Kirstie Macdonald developed the project and will also Executive Produce. Will Nicholson will produce the series. Erika Kennair and JC Acosta of The Mediapro Studio will Executive Produce. Paul Gay (Vera, Ridley) and Claire Winyard (Death Valley, Vera) are onboard to direct the series. The Mediapro Studio will also retain and manage international distribution for the series.   

On the series commission of his novel, Graham Norton said: “In writing Forever Home, I was initially inspired by the simple idea of packing up a home later in life, and the “what if” scenarios and complexities that come with later-life relationships. The novel soon evolved into a funny, twisted, ‘dark-romp’ full of farcical scenes and it’s wonderful to see the depth and richness of Carol’s story realized as a screenplay.”   

On adding this adaption to 5’s acclaimed drama slate, Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, 5 comments: “We’re delighted to partner with FilmNation and The Mediapro Studio to bring Graham Norton’s compelling novel to UK screens, supported by an outstanding cast. Working with North East Screen again to champion local filming has been a pleasure, and we can’t wait for viewers to immerse themselves in Forever Home.”   

Kirstie Macdonald, FilmNation TV UK Creative Director, said: “From the moment I read the always-hilarious Graham Norton’s brilliant novel, I knew I wanted to bring Forever Home to the screen. It’s a story full of twists and turns, secrets, and emotional depth that we can’t wait to bring to life for 5 audiences. We’re proud to collaborate with Clara Salaman, 5, and our partners at The Mediapro Studio on this thrilling adaptation and are grateful for the support of North East Screen.”   

Erika Kennair, Head of Scripted at The Mediapro Studio US & Canada, adds: “We are thrilled to partner with the talented Clara Salaman, the groundbreaking FilmNation and the iconic 5 to bring Graham Norton’s exciting and witty book to life.”   

Gayle Woodruffe, Operations Director at North East Screen, continues: “Forever Home is our 15th production supported by the North East Production Fund, a fund which is helping to attract more production to the North East of England and has invested £2.37m in productions so far. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with FilmNation and 5 and are looking forward to welcoming the production team to Northumberland, a county which has the perfect locations to suit the story. The North East is fast becoming a hub of TV production and our Film Office and Skills teams have been working closely with the production team to pull together amazing local crew and companies and offer some outstanding opportunities to work in TV.”   

Filming in Northumberland and set to air on 5 in 2026, Forever Home is a darkly emotional story about marriage, family and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her children.   

ENDS   

For more information, please contact: 

Kate.Killgour@paramount.com   

NOTES TO EDITORS   

Praise for Graham Norton’s Forever Home: 

The Irish Independent 

“Graham Norton’s Forever Home skilfully combines crime caper and moving portrait of dementia”   

The Guardian 

“Effortlessly Readable”   

Kirkus 

“A heartfelt look at how family members make and break each other”   

The Irish Times 

“Entertaining read”   

The Sydney Morning Herald 

“A deliciously breezy read”   

About 5: 

5 is the home of award-winning content from the UK’s third largest commercial PSB, a culmination of the creative transformation of Channel 5 over more than a decade. 5 is part of Paramount, a Skydance corporation.  Through a mix of live TV channels and bingeable boxsets, the free-to-air service allows UK audiences to watch or stream the breadth of programming from Channel 5 – including Milkshake!, its dedicated preschool brand – and a wide selection from the wider Paramount family of brands, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount+ and more.  In keeping with its PSB remit, 5 tells the story of modern Britain by reflecting the lives of people across the UK, featuring well-known faces and fresh new talent. Its programme roster spans original UK drama, premium factual, true crime, science, news & current affairs and kids’ content, which continue to attract critical acclaim.  Recent wins include BAFTA Television and RTS Awards for the documentary White Nanny, Black Child in 2024, along with a BAFTA nomination for Endurance Race to the Pole. Factual hit The Yorkshire Vet and the broadcaster’s series on air fryers also won RTS Yorkshire awards, while Michael Palin received the Radio Times Special Judges Award for his Channel 5 documentaries.   

About FilmNation Entertainment: 

FilmNation Entertainment is a leading independent entertainment company that produces, finances, and distributes award-winning films, television series, podcasts,  and theater productions that combine strong creative voices and global appeal. Recent FilmNation productions include Sean Baker’s Academy Award-Winning Anora, starring Mikey Madison, which won five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress; Edward Berger’s Academy Award-Winning Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini; and sales for Pablo Larraín’s Academy Award-Nominated Maria starring Angelina Jolie. The company also produced award-winning box office hits that include Promising Young Woman, Arrival, and The Big Sick. FilmNation is the home of Infrared, a new film production label focused on mainstream genre films with franchise potential. Infrared’s first production, Novocaine starring Jack Quaid was released in March. FilmNation launched its television division with I Know This Much is True for HBO, for which Mark Ruffalo earned the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. Releases also include the upcoming Prime Video Original Series The House of the Spirits, the German-language historical epic Black Gold and Small Town, Big Story for Sky. With teams in both Los Angeles and London, FilmNation’s television division is currently developing multiple new projects with global appeal. FilmNation’s podcasting division is the home of non-fiction storytelling for the company, featuring character-driven storytelling and original voices uniquely suited to the medium. Popular podcasts include the Signal Award-Winning SNAFU with Ed Helms. The new podcast-inspired book SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups is a New York Times Best Seller.  FilmNation’s theater investments include 2024 Best Play Tony-Winner Stereophonic. Additional theater credits include the Tony Award-Winning productions Prima Facie, The Sound Inside, and The Band’s Visit.   

About The Mediapro Studio: 

THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO is GRUP MEDIAPRO's content creation, production and distribution factory. THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO integrates production houses with extensive experience, such as Globomedia, 100 Balas, El Terrat, Big Bang Media, K2000, Hostoil, Oficina Burman, Cimarrón and Fresco Film, and produces content of all genres worldwide, including fiction series, films, entertainment shows, short formats and documentaries. THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO empowers high-quality global projects, with great talents of recognized national and international prestige such as Paolo Sorrentino, Woody Allen, Isabel Coixet, Ran Tellem, Oliver Stone, Daniel Burman, Fernando León de Aranoa, Iván Escobar, Borja Cobeaga, Diego San José, Fernando González Molina, Berto Romero, Andreu Buenafuente, Clara Roquet, Marc Cistaré, Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn, Juan Carlos Aparicio and Lluís Arcarazo, among others. THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO works with key global industry operators such as Max, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ViX, Paramount+, SkyShowtime, Movistar Plus+, Atresmedia and Mediaset, and its productions have won various international awards, including 2 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, 2 Daytime Emmy Awards and multiple Goya awards.   

About North East Screen: 

North East Screen is the screen agency for the North East. We develop and champion North East England as one of the UK’s leading film and TV production hubs where exceptional screen industry talent can live, create and work. We support all incoming productions with crew, locations and facilities shooting anywhere in the region through our free and invaluable Film Office. We manage the North East Production Fund on behalf of the North East Screen Industries Partnership, funded by the North East Combined Authority and Tees Valley Combined Authority.  www.northeastscreen.org