Channel 4 orders Number 10, a Downing Street drama from Moffat

Channel 4 has ordered Number 10, a new political drama from Sherlock cocreator Steven Moffat, produced by Hartswood Films in association with ITV Studios. The series, set at the UK’s most famous address, 10 Downing Street, promises a behind-the-scenes look at the Prime Minister’s residence and the world that operates inside it. Filming is expected to begin soon, with casting and transmission details to be announced at a later date.

The synopsis describes a show that will chart not only the Prime Minister upstairs but the full ecosystem of people who keep the house running. It envisions “a Prime Minister in the attic, a coffee bar in the basement, and a wallpapered labyrinth of romance, crisis and heartbreak inbetween.” The government in the drama is fictional, yet the problems are portrayed as real and urgent. The creators emphasize that Number 10 is about the building and everyone inside—from the conspiracy theorist who runs the café three floors below to the lift repair person and the ambitious advisers fighting for space in cupboards, with the resident cat also playing a part.

Key creative figures behind the project include Moffat, who is best known for his work on Sherlock...