male
John Preston attended Marlborough College in Wiltshire from 1967 to 1971. He worked as the Arts Editor of The Evening Standard and The Sunday Telegraph. He was The Sunday Telegraph's television critic for ten years and one of its chief feature writers. Preston wrote four novels between 1996 and 2007. All are set in England in the recent past: Ghosting in the world of radio and television in the 1950s; Ink in the dying days of Fleet Street's importance in journalism in the 1980s; Kings of the Roundhouse in strife-torn London in the 1970s; and The Dig in the 1930s. Preston wrote The Dig, a novelised account of the Sutton Hoo archaeological dig, after discovering that his aunt had been one of the key participants. The Dig has been made into a feature film starring Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan, and Lily James, released on Netflix in 2021. A Very English Scandal, Preston's non-fiction account of the Jeremy Thorpe affair of the 1970s, was adapted into a television miniseries starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw in 2018. His 2020 non-fiction book, Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell, won the Costa Book Award for biographies in 2021, and is being adapted for television by Working Title.
John Preston
Writers
for Writers in UNITED: Youth, Courage, Success (2028-)
Suggested by bencasting
Manchester United have reportedly agreed a deal with North American production company Lionsgate for the creation of a drama series based on the history of the club. Here's my take on what it could look like: Series 1: The origins of a club with working-class roots, from Newton Heath’s survival, the birth of Manchester United and the move to old trafford, through the World Wars ars and relegation and financial struggles to stay afloat. Matt Busby and the Busby Babes setting the standard in English football until the shocking tragedy of the Munich air disaster. Series 2: Busby rebuilds a grieving club almost from scratch, culminating in European glory. When he finally retires, United drift through a series of managers, trapped between past expectations and present failures, culminating in a shocking relegation. Series 3: Ron Atkinson restores some success. Alex Ferguson arrives from Aberdeen, imposing discipline and authority. A faltering start nearly costs him his job, but an FA Cup win gives the him a lifeline. Series 4: A young generation emerges, reshaping the club’s future. By the mid-90s, Ferguson’s team dominate England again, building toward one extraordinary night in Barcelona in 1999. Series 5: United are a British football institution, but off the pitch turbulence mounts. Ferguson contemplates retirement, legal battles and boardroom disputes erupt, a racehorse conspiracy causes chaos, and high-profile fallouts shake the squad. The Glazer familys’ leveraged takeover causes mass fan protests. Series 6: United remain a global powerhouse. Ferguson battles rivals Wenger and Mourinho while rebuilding the squad. European glory returns in 2008, City’s rise challenges the football established order, and Ferguson claims a final Premier League title in 2013 before preparing his successor, David Moyes. Series 7: The post-Ferguson era begins.
