Filming has begun on Outrageous, a six-part series about the Mitford sisters, with a cast including Bessie Carter, Joanna Vanderham, Anna Chancellor and James Purefoy. The brand-new drama, created and written by Sarah Williams (Small Island, Flesh and Blood, The Long Song), and based on Mary Lovell’s definitive biography The Mitford Girls, is made by Firebird Pictures and co-commissioned by BritBox International (for North America) and UKTV.

Outrageous is the story of six aristocratic sisters who refused to play by the rules, their often-scandalous lives making headlines around the world. Set against the gathering storm clouds of the 1930s, masked by the decadence, frivolity and lavishness of British high society, Outrageous will bring the full, uncensored story of the Mitford sisters to the screen for the first time - a story of family bonds and betrayals, public scandal, political extremism, love, heartache and even imprisonment. The show explores how and why these women, unwilling to conform, were so ahead of their time - and what drove them to take their very different, complex and often dangerous paths. A family saga like no other, this is the Mitfords as they really were: unapologetic, outrageous and utterly human.

Bessie Carter (Bridgerton, I Hate Suzie) is set to star as Nancy Mitford, alongside Joanna Vanderham (Crime, The Control Room) as Diana Mitford, Shannon Watson (The Jetty, Say Nothing) as Unity Mitford, Zoe Brough (Casualty) as Jessica Mitford, Orla Hill (Stonehouse, A Confession) as Deborah Mitford and Isobel Jesper Jones (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, The Serpent Queen) as Pamela Mitford. Their brother Tom will be played by Toby Regbo (Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Platform 7), with Anna Chancellor (The Split, Four Weddings and a Funeral) and James Purefoy (The Veil, Malpractice) at the top of the family tree as Muv and Farve.

Other cast will include Joshua Sasse (Love Is In The Air, Galavant) as Oswald Mosley, Jamie Blackley (Becoming Elizabeth, The Last Kingdom) as Peter Rodd, James Musgrave (Einstein and the Bomb) as Hamish Erskine, Calam Lynch (Bridgerton, Archie) as Bryan Guinness and Will Attenborough (Our Girl, The Hollow Crown) as Joss.

Bessie Carter said: “I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to bring someone as brilliant as Nancy Mitford to life. She was one piece of a truly fascinating family of remarkable and unique women, and I can’t wait to tell their story.”

Joanna Vanderham said: “I’m thrilled to be bringing to life the extraordinary, glamorous and controversial Diana Mitford. The role brings a new challenge for me as I delve into her character, which was forged in a tumultuous period in British history, the 1930s, and it’s undeniable that the political climate she navigated holds a striking relevance to the present day.”

Firebird said: “We couldn’t be more excited about the stunning cast we’ve assembled to breathe life into this epic tale of sibling rivalry and political radicalization – and we can’t wait for directors Joss Agnew and Ellie Heydon to weave their visual magic in evoking the febrile world of 1930s Britain, where old social orders are crumbling and a group of headstrong, rebellious sisters set out to change the world, with sometimes devastating consequences.

Outrageous is a BritBox International and UKTV Original commission, and will air on BritBox International in North America in 2025.

The series is produced by Firebird Pictures, one of BBC Studios’ owned production labels, and executive producers are Elizabeth Kilgarriff, Matthew Mosley and Craig Holleworth. Helen Perry will executive produce for UKTV; Robert Schildhouse, Jess O’Riordan, and Stephen Nye will executive produce for BritBox International. Directors for the series will be Joss Agnew (The Man Who Fell to Earth, Vigil) and Ellie Heydon (Trying), with Natasha Romaniuk (The Suspect, Fifteen-Love) as producer. BBC Studios are handling international distribution. Filming is taking place in and around Buckinghamshire.