Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy to get a TV series on BBC One

A new drama series based on Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy of novels, His Dark Materials, has been commissioned by the BBC.

Northern Lights – the first novel in the trilogy – follows Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined, and uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children.

In The Subtle Knife she is joined by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds, and she learns of “a mysterious phenomenon called Dust”. The triology reaches its climax in The Amber Spyglass which sees Lyra learn of her parents and destiny as she becomes “caught up in a war against celestial powers”.

The trilogy has been published in more than 40 languages and has sold worldwide close to 17.5 million copies.

Its popularity saw it adapted for the stage, into a film (the Golden Compass), a graphic novel and a radio play.

Speaking of the BBC adaptation Pullman said: “It’s been a constant source of pleasure to me to see this story adapted to different forms and presented in different media.

"In recent years we’ve seen the way that long stories on television, whether adaptations (Game Of Thrones) or original (The Sopranos, The Wire), can reach depths of characterisationand heights of suspense by taking the time for events to make their proper impact and for consequences to unravel.