BBC Factual and BBC Scotland has announced JK Rowling (working title), a two-part documentary series from Rogan Scotland (Becoming Frida Kahlo; The Secret of Me; Becoming Victoria Wood) for BBC Two, BBC Scotland and iPlayer, which traces Rowling’s dramatic rise, cultural influence and contested legacy, using her life as a lens through which to explore three decades of profound social, political and technological change.
Rowling’s journey from struggling single mother to the creator of Harry Potter is one of the most extraordinary success stories of modern times. The author created a beloved global phenomenon and reshaped our cultural life before becoming one of Britain’s most polarising public figures.
Episode one charts Rowling’s path from a bookish childhood and time spent writing in Edinburgh cafés to unprecedented literary success. Harry Potter transformed children’s publishing, revitalised reading and burnished Britain’s cultural identity, not to mention becoming the world’s fourth highest-grossing film franchise, behind only Star Wars and both the Disney and Sony interpretations of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
READ MORE: North East Mayor McGuinness targets 10,000 new jobs as 10-year culture and creative strategy launches
As the books inspired a generation of outsiders and brought millions of young fans together through the emerging internet, Rowling created a universe with an economic legacy worth billions.
And then…
Episode two follows Rowling as she steps out from behind her creation and becomes an increasingly powerful political voice. Amid the rise of social media and intensifying culture wars, her interventions on Scottish independence, feminism, free speech and gender identity place her at the centre of increasingly bitter online exchanges. Admired by supporters as a fearless defender of women’s rights and condemned by critics who call her an opponent of trans equality, she finds herself divided from some of the actors and fans who once championed her work.
Drawing on rare archive footage, Rowling’s own words, and interviews from people who worked with her along the way, this documentary series captures the rise and impact of the prolific author.
Simon Young, head of commissioning, history, said: “Thirty years after the publication of the first Harry Potter book, there feels like no better time for the BBC to explore one of the towering figures of British literature. No cultural history of Britain in the 21st century would be complete without the story of the boy wizard that J.K. Rowling created, the publishing and film-making phenomenon that she spawned, or the polarising public figure she has become.”
David Harron, commissioning editor, BBC Scotland, added: “J.K. Rowling is arguably one of the most influential figures in the literary and wider media worlds. Through the extraordinary story of her life and work, this series explores not only the creation of a global phenomenon, but also how Britain’s culture has been shaped by significant social and technological changes in recent years.”
James Rogan, executive producer, said: “J.K. Rowling has achieved extraordinary literary success, with her influence spanning a generation of fans, crossing into cinema and the online world. Rogan Scotland explores her unique story from her early days as a writer to the present moment and how her unflinching personal beliefs have sparked a fraught and divisive dialogue that continues to this day.”
J.K. Rowling is made by Rogan Scotland. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, head of commissioning, specialist factual and Louise Thornton, head of multi-platform commissioning, BBC Scotland. The executive producers are James Rogan and Mark Hedgecoe and the commissioning editors are Simon Young, head of commissioning, history and David Harron, BBC Scotland. BBC Studios will be handling global distribution.
