I’m incredibly proud to share that Geek Girl is making its debut on 30th May, 2024 on Netflix around the world (and StackTV in Canada). This has been a long-gestating passion project, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
I first discovered Holly Smale’s brilliant book when we were both touring our debut novels back in 2013. I was touring ‘MetaWars’ and Holly had burst onto the YA scene with her hilarious first book, about high-schooler Harriet Manners; an awkward and geeky girl who gets discovered as a model. Chaos and hilarity ensue. What makes the first book (and its seven sequels) so compelling is that the character of Harriet is loosely based on Holly’s own experiences.
I optioned the book while at a previous company and beat all the bushes to try to get the project sold and financed. Every buyer turned it town (one even turned me down three times!). Despite trying, the project just didn’t find a home. And a combination of my investor going bust (a tale of whoa for another day), a global pandemic, and the BFI’s YA Fund shutting down; it felt like I just couldn’t catch a break.
But I refused to give up. Patience and persistence.
Holly was willing to stick with me under a new company and I was thrilled when Corus saw the potential in the project and then so too did two passionate executives at Netflix in LA.
Finally, after many years of false starts, Geek Girl could finally make the leap from page to screen.
I had collaborated creatively with Zoë Rocha and her company RubyRock Pictures, and behind the scenes had helped Corus acquire Aircraft Pictures, so I was delighted to make a match; to pair these two talented production companies to form an official Canada-UK treaty co-production.
We built a writers room around Holly Smale, and brought in a team of talented writers: Jess Ruston (head writer), Sameera Steward, and Sarah Morgan.
Zoë assembled an incredible cast, led by Emily Carey (House of the Dragon) and paired her Harriet with Liam Woodrum as Nick. Tim Downie and Jemima Rooper play Harriet’s parents, while Zac Looker and Rochelle Harrington play her friends Toby and Nat respectively. Harriet’s rival, Poppy, is played by Daisy Jelly. And from the agency world, Emmanuel Imani plays agent Wilbur, Hebe Beardsall plays long-suffering assistant Betty, and Sarah Parish plays the Jude, the matriarch of Infinity Models London. We brought on the incredibly talented Declan O’Dwyer to direct all ten episodes.
In the book, Harriet Manners jets off to Moscow without her parents’ permission for a fashion shoot. For obvious reasons, we weren’t going to Russia, but I’d always wanted to give Ottawa (fun trivia: my father’s hometown) it’s on screen close-up, so we swapped one capital city for another and Ottawa became the filming location for the Canada part of the co-pro, finally giving this beautiful city a moment in the spotlight.
We started filming the series in London in June of 2023 and then hopped over to Ottawa in August, doing post and sound in Toronto through the rest of the Autumn of ’23 and into early ’24.
And now, the whole world will get to experience the joy of Geek Girl. Set your calendars for 30th May!
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