BBC1 drama will focus on events prior to the flood and is likely to be filmed in Morocco

Former EastEnders lead writer Tony Jordan is following up his award-winning The Nativity with another biblical project for BBC1, retelling the story of Noah and the ark.

Jordan, whose other credits as a writer and producer include Hustle and Life on Mars, said his version would be all about Noah's absolute faith in God as he carried out his highly detailed instructions to construct the Ark, in defiance of everyone around him.

The BBC1 drama will end with the first drop of rain falling in the global deluge God has warned Noah to prepare for.

Jordan's version will therefore omit two of the most famous elements of the biblical story: the animals walking into the ark two by two, and a dove sent out by Noah returning with an olive leaf, showing that the flood is subsiding.

Jordan's new drama is expected to be filmed in Morocco where The Nativity was shot. He said he had noted when filming The Nativity that the studios already had a half constructed wooden ark.

By ending with the first drop of rain Jordan is free to work on the pre-story of Noah, who is said by the Bible to be 600 years old at the time of the flood, with three sons with three wives.

The book of Genesis says God is driven to submerge the planet by the great evil and wickedness of man. By contrast Noah is described as "walking with God", who instructs him to build an ark to preserve his family and two of every species from the flood that follows 40 days and nights of rain.

Jordan's The Nativity was screened across the week before Christmas Day on BBC1.

The Nativity won the premier award for religious programming at the annual Sandford St Martin Trust event earlier this week.



• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.

Maggie Brown

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds






More...