BREAKING NEWS: ITV is collaborating with Oscar nominee Jeff Pope on a new drama series that delves into the profound effects of social media on children. This project was inspired by an idea from Simon Cowell’s partner, Lauren Cowell.
This upcoming drama, yet to be named, will portray the lives of various families and advocates, including Ellen Roome. Roome is convinced that her 14-year-old son Julian ‘Jools’ Sweeney’s tragic death might be related to his exposure to harmful social media content. Since her son’s unexpected death in April 2022, Roome has dedicated the last four years to uncovering the reasons behind the tragedy, challenging tech giants across the US and the UK for access to her son’s social media accounts.
ITV has stated that the series will “explore the global consequences of social media on young lives and the degree to which tech companies manage to dodge accountability.”
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After campaigning with Roome and other affected families, Lauren Cowell presented the concept to ITV. The show is being produced by Pope’s ITV Studios-supported Etta Pictures in collaboration with the documentary company Featuristic Films. Initially, Roome, who began developing the drama with Featuristic, is now consulting with Pope’s production team and Lauren Cowell serves as an executive producer.
“Ellen’s story is one of the most moving and significant that I have ever encountered,” said Lauren Cowell. “The unimaginable sorrow these families have faced is heart-wrenching, yet they have managed to find the courage to demand change to protect other children from similar fates.”
Grieving mother Ellen Roome shares a photo of her late son Jools at the “Lost Screen Memorial” inauguration
Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images
Roome expressed, “Having ITV and Jeff Pope commit to this project has truly given me a great deal of hope and comfort. I believe they will handle not only my story but, crucially, Jools’ story, with the respect and honesty it deserves. His loss has forever altered my life, but if sharing his story can save other children and enlighten the public about what families endure, then it’s worth pursuing. Thank you all for embracing this vital narrative.”
This issue has recently been a major topic in the news.
In the UK, activists have long pushed for stricter regulations on social media, and just last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a comprehensive ban on social media use for anyone under 16, going further than Australia’s pioneering prohibition. Additionally, details about a nightly social media curfew for older teenagers were released this morning.
ITV has frequently partnered with factual drama expert Pope, including on recent projects like Believe Me, which examines the case of the “Black Cab Rapist” John Worboys. Following the success of Mr Bates vs the Post Office, ITV has continued to approve socially driven dramas such as the Sheridan Smith-led I Fought the Law and the upcoming series by Peter Moffat about the contaminated blood scandal.
This new drama on social media is the first major project announced by ITV since Sky confirmed its acquisition of the 70-year-old network last week.
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