ITV moves in to poach Piper

Published Wednesday 26 April 2006 at 12:10 by Liz Thomas

Exclusive - Billie Piper is being lined up to star in ITV’s adaptation of period classic Mansfield Park in the forthcoming Jane Austen season as part of a strategy to broaden the network’s drama appeal.

The Doctor Who star is understood to be in talks to take on the role of Fanny Price in the production, which is penned by Maggie Wadey and is being made by Shameless producer Company Pictures. A source told The Stage: “She is very, very busy but it would be a real coup.”

Piper, whose acting career has flourished since she appeared in BBC’s modern versions of The Canterbury Tales, has a tight schedule. This summer she is filming new Corporation drama The Ruby in the Smoke, based on the Philip Pullman novel, and she will return for a third series of Doctor Who - although she is expected to bow out early in order to juggle other projects.

The ITV Austen season will also feature Northanger Abbey Persuasion, and a repeat of its 1997 film Emma, starring Kate Beckinsale and Samantha Morton.

When he announced the new project, drama director Nick Elliott promised it would feature “the absolute cream of British acting talent”.

The combination of an all-star cast and period drama has worked well for BBC1, which won critical and widespread acclaim for its take on Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, featuring Gillian Anderson and Charles Dance.

Poaching Piper, who so far has only worked on BBC projects, would boost the network’s plans to bring a wider audience and a more contemporary feel to its drama productions, currently dominated by stars such as Martin Clunes, Robson Green and Caroline Quentin.

The network, which has come under fire from writers including Paul Abbott and Jimmy McGovern for the quality and originality of its output in the genre, is keen for faster paced, stylish pieces that could emulate the success of the BBC1’s Life on Mars and Hustle.

Although ITV spends nearly £1 million a day on drama, in the past year the network’s audience share for its 9pm drama slot - for years a ratings big hitter - has dropped, while the Corporation has experienced a marginal increase in the same time period.