Could there be a sequel to the award-winning limited series It’s A Sin? The beloved UK miniseries, which aired stateside on HBO Max, followed a group of friends in 1980s England at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. Nicola Shindler, executive producer of the devastating drama recently discussed the possibility at a BAFTA Sessions event.
Shindler relayed a meeting with show creator and writer Russell T Davies where possible storylines were discussed. The discussion centered on the need in our society to protect those being taken advantage of,
“There were a lot of stories in the press about young boys being manipulated online to masturbate. They were being filmed and then they were being blackmailed, essentially.
The Queer as Folk producer then envisioned the present-day lives of It’s A Sin characters, Jill and Roscoe, being in a position to protect and help those in need. Shindler relayed Davies thoughts saying,
“He thought, what if you cut to the present day and Jill and Roscoe are out there to stop people from doing this. There are so many vulnerable people that need looking after or need some kind of attention shining on them.”
Related: Russel T. Davies reveals why he ‘excluded’ AIDS epidemic from ‘Queer as Folk’
According to Pink News,
“It’s a Sin leads the upcoming BAFTA Television Awards nominations, which take place on 8 May. It’s up for 11 awards, including Best Actor and Best Actress for Olly Alexander (Ritchie) and Lydia West, respectively. Omari Douglas, David Carlyle (Gregory) and Callum Scott Howells (Colin) have also been nominated for Best Supporting Actor.”
In February 2021, Instinct magazine reported on It’s A Sin being credited with the UK experiencing a record number of HIV testing,
“The Terrence Higgins Trust shared on Monday, February 1, that there has been a “four-fold increase” on HIV Testing Week stats compared to earlier years. Specifically, 8,200 tests were ordered compared to the previous record of 2,800. Again, many are crediting this change to a show. They are praising It’s a Sin, which is Channel 4’s most-watched drama series ever. Plus, videos from the show or videos of the cast, like lead star Olly Alexander, talking about awareness also helped.”
Shindler jokingly wondered if Davies might be upset with her, “I don’t know if he’ll be cross that I’ve told people what the idea is.” Ending the conversation with Davies final thoughts on the maybe soon-to-be-series,
“He just wanted to pick it up in the present day and say there are still so many people out there who need protecting. That was the point of it.”
Sources: Pink News
