Short stories adapted for Sky Arts

Johnny Vegas is to appear in a TV adaptation of short stories by Neil Gaiman.

The comedian will appear alongside  Tom Hughes, George MacKay, Rita Tushingham and Kenneth Cranham in the Sky Arts series Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories. And the score will be provided by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker.

Gaiman said of the  four-part series: ‘Short stories traditionally do not get a lot of love from television. I’m really excited to see what the team are going to do and make with Likely Stories -they’ve given it real thought and it feels like it’s going to be something very, very special.’

Set in London, Sky says these four 30-minute short stories will be ‘characteristically dark and strange while also drawing on the deftly crafted characters’ human warmth and wit’, as the drama shifts between between reality and fantasy. Gaiman himself will make cameos in each film, with what broadcaster says will involve subtle nods to his wider work that super-fans will be able to spot. 

Phil Edgar-Jones, director of Sky Arts, added: ‘I’ve long admired the work of Neil Gaiman. He is a genius storyteller and an exceptional talent… Likely Stories is, in true Gaiman style, brilliantly bizarre and unexpected.’

The four adaptations will be Foreign Parts, Feeders & Eaters, Closing Time and  Looking For The Girl.

The  series is directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard,who previously made the Nick Cave film 20,000 Days on Earth. Their ensemble cast also includes  Monica Dolan from W1A and Paul Ritter from Friday Night Dinner as well as  Simon Manyonda, Johann Myers and Montserrat Lombard. 

Published: 11 Feb 2016