Rope Ladder Fiction has held their first ever Script Editor Forum, in partnership with Eleven.

The event, to celebrate the role of the script editor in TV Drama, was held in Manchester on Tuesday.

The schedule involved a talk from Sophie Wood from Eleven regarding Duly Noted, Eleven’s entry level scheme that places aspiring script editors with production companies, and panels on a variety of topics including “Celebrating Best Practice in Production”, how best to support new writers, and how to maintain a freelance career in the industry.

Jessica Loveland from BBC Writers Room also gave an overview of the newly rebranded BBC Writers scheme.

Thank you to all of our panellists, chairs, and guests, and to Kesewaa Browne for hosting!

Paramount+ has announced that it has greenlit Eleven’s original drama, STAGS, with filming taking place on location in Tenerife from November.

The six-part series follows groom-to-be Stu and his friends on his stag do in South America. What was meant to be a week of drink, drugs, and fun turns dark when instead of boarding a plane home, the group is thrown in to a notorious and depraved prison island run by two drug-dealing siblings and it becomes clear that the stags need to pick a side if they have any chance of survival. Friendships are tested and life-long loyalty is sacrificed as Stu and his friends begin to question, who will make it home?

Joining the cast is Nico Mirallegro (Passenger) as Stu, our handsome, charming groom-to-be. Corin Silva (SAS: Rogue Heroes) and Charlie Cooper (This Country) will play Stu’s close childhood friends, Ryan and Ant, whilst newcomer Sophie Lenglinger (Druid O’Casey: Sean O’Casey’s Dublin Trilogy) and Paul Forman (Emily in Paris) will play his university friends, Clem and Hugo. Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing) will also join the cast as Stu’s friend from “work”, Greg.

This series was commissioned by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK, Paramount. On the new series order, Cardwell said “With the team at Eleven at the helm and an exciting ensemble cast, Stu’s stag do promises to be a wild, gripping ride that we can’t wait to bring viewers on.”

BAFTA-winning film and TV director David Kerr (Johnny English Strikes Again, Inside No.9) is the lead Director of STAGS, whilst Daniel Cullen (Breeders, Bad Sisters) is the lead writer on the series. The Executive Producers are Joel Wilson, Olivia Trench and Carissa Hope Lynch, with Farah Abushwesha serving as Producer. Sony Pictures Television will distribute the series internationally.

Carissa Hope Lynch added “The incredible cast and standout creative team are a real testament to Daniel’s distinct and darkly comic scripts. STAGS is a balls out series, packed with plot twists that’ll give the keenest genre buff whiplash. We’re so thrilled to bring this savage tale to Paramount+.”