The (new) Canterbury Tales

Updated for our times.
And take the Chaucer quiz :)

How did the modern adaptation come about?

For two of the executive producers Laura Mackie and Franc Roddam, their Canterbury Tales journey began in spring 2001 in Phoenix, Arizona when they were looking for locations for Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

"I had just taken over as Head of Drama Serials and I told Franc that we were looking for a piece that reflected life in the new century" says Mackie. "Franc is a brilliant ideas man and he mentioned The Canterbury Tales and what enduring stories they were. We discussed how it might be possible to update them to the present day and that sowed the seed of the idea.

Why these six Tales?

"We wanted to have a good mix of stories," says Mackie. "So we balanced some of the saucier more comedic tales with the more serious and darker stories." We also wanted to match those tales with the different writers' strengths. We got together a wish list of established writers and also some newer writers."

What makes the Tales relevant to today's audience?

For Producer Kate Bartlett remaining as faithful to the original spirit of the tales was crucial to the overall concept. "The tales are the most fantastic stories full of comedy and tragedy, with characters that are timeless," says Kate Bartlett. "The stories also embody the timeless themes of love, lust, greed, power, anger and bigotry - human emotions that are as relevant today as they were six hundred years ago."

How was the cast chosen?

After a year in development and armed with the scripts finally ready for shooting. "We always wanted to be ambitious with the casting," says Mackie. "Because each film involved a short commitment of two or three weeks, we were able to attract top class artists like Julie Walters, Jimmy Nesbitt, Om Puri and Jonny Lee Miller as well as some terrific new talent like Nikki Amuka Bird and Billie Piper".

The key to success?

"The challenge of making six films, each scripted by a distinctive and original writer, with a strong and individual directorial style for each film was incredibly exciting," says Kate Bartlett. "However, ultimately we have to thank Chaucer for writing such good stories six hundred years ago."