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- guardian.co.uk, Sunday October 22 2000 02.36 BST
- The Observer, Sunday October 22 2000
Britain's latest attempt to repeat the hugely successful This Life television formula is on its way. But the next cult series-in-waiting is a raunchy, drug-fuelled, lesbian tale - and is not even set in London.
The makers of BBC2's much-praised legal drama are planning to turn a novel about a promiscuous bisexual living on the cheap in Paris into a mainstream series.
The book, called Biche - a street term of endearment - tells of sexual conquests on both sides of the gender divide. The thirty-something author, Stephanie Theobald, based it on her experience of living in the low-rent Barbès-Rochechouart area in the early Nineties.
'I am pleased that World TV plans to keep the story set in Paris,' she told The Observer. 'This may well make the whole thing work. We've seen enough on our screens about living in London. And it's time to get rid of the old ideas about Paris. It's not full of people in black polo-necks or Chanel suits anymore.'
The heroine of Biche, George, shares a down-at-heel apartment with a gay male friend called Holly. In a typical scene from the novel, Holly greets George and her new black male conquest late one night, 'Already on Africa then?' Holly asks as he hands over the condoms.
The TV company was attracted to the story partly because of its bisexual element. This Life gained notoriety and support from the gay community for its upfront handling of homosexual encounters. The candid approach to homosexuality of Channel Four's Queer As Folk, was judged a key part of its ratings success.
'It is not really that surprising,' said Theobald, 'because it is the one thing that has not been possible to do before now. There is still a lot of scope.'
The comedian Kathy Burke's BBC1 series Gimme, Gimme, Gimme was one of the first to feature a gay male in a sympathetic leading role and stand-up comic Rhona Cameron recently devised her own lesbian sitcom, Rhona, for BBC2. Biche will be the first serious drama series to feature a bisexual heroine.
Theobald, the daughter of a fish and chip shop owner, told The Observer she would be disappointed if the series is watered down for television.
'If that was going to happen, I would rather it was made into a film instead, or at least that it went to a company who were prepared to be truer to the book,' she said.
An independent feature film company has also shown strong interest in Biche before its publication next month. 'If it is made into a film the character of Holly should really be played by Brad Pitt,' said Theobald. 'The guy it was based on always wanted to be Brad Pitt. I would like to be played by Drew Barrymore or perhaps Chloe Sevigny.'
Another gay series, the Emmy award-winning Will And Grace, is now one of the most popular shows in America and has been bought up for transmission in this country soon. The show is about a gay male lawyer and a straight female decorator who live next door to each other.
