‘Lost Boys & Fairies’ Execs Talk Respinning Narratives Around Adoption On TV And Working With Will Sharpe & Prano Bailey-Bond

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Producers behind the BBC‘s Lost Boys & Fairies are hopeful that the heartwarming show can respin narratives around adoption, as they reveal they are working with White Lotus star Will Sharpe and Censor director Prano Bailey-Bond on new projects.

Welsh playwright Daf James‘ debut premieres Monday and This is England alums Bekki Wray-Rogers, Jessica Brown Meek and Libby Durdy, who run the show’s production outfit Duck Soup, said nuanced representation was integral to the story about a gay couple adopting for the first time.

Wray-Rogers is an adopter and said she wanted to turn the tables on previous representations of adoption in TV and movies. “The trail of adoption so far has very much been about people being stolen away and that’s not really what it is,” she told Deadline. “People should know that adoption is a really great thing and there should be this recognition that people are all a bit flawed but can use their trauma to become really good adopters.” Social workers who have viewed previews of the show have “been very excited that you get to see lots of different perspectives,” added Wray-Rogers.

Durdy said: “Not to sound saccharine but this [show] highlights the need for compassion. All our families are made up in completely different ways and compassion is very key in our understanding.” Starring Sion Daniel Young (Slow Horses) and Fra Fee (Rebel Moon), James’ TV debut follows Gabriel and Andy.