PC Peter Grant’s magical adventures may finally be coming to television with reports of a writers room and backing from Sky. 

Writer Ben Aaronovitch was one of the great finds in the final years of Doctor Who‘s classic era. Penning Remembrance of the Daleks and Battlefield, he was part of the show’s reinvigoration under script writer Andrew Cartmel. Aaronovitch went on to pen novels for Virgin’s Doctor Who – The New Adventures run during the 90s.

In the years since he has utterly eclipsed his Doctor Who work, winning acclaim for Rivers of London.

Rivers of London

The urban fantasy series follows PC Peter Grant, who finds himself drawn into the supernatural world when a case brings him into contact with the Metropolitan Police’s department based at The Folly, and its head, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale. Since 2011, the series has sold 8 million novels, novellas and graphic novels.

While the series has been in development for a while, this appears to be more substantial progress. Deadline reports that Pure Fiction and Sky Studios are working up the show based on the first novel (known as Rivers of London in the UK and Stateside as Midnight Riot). Pure Fiction is an independent drama producer set up by Tom Winchester (The Capture), with See Saw (Slow Horses) as an investor. The producers are now looking to secure an American buyer.

Deadline reports that several writers have come on board the series for a writers room, led by John Jackson (The Gentleman). They include Tobi King Bakare (I May Destroy You), Kara Smith (Lockwood & Co), Joshua St Johnson (Grantchester), Tolula Dada (Gangs of London), and Robin French (Sanditon). Ben Aaronovitch is an executive producer on the project via his own production company Unnecessary Logo.

With fingers crossed for this one, we’ll keep you posted.