BBC and A24's 'The Ministry of Time' Sets London Shoot With Alice Birch Writing and Aneil Karia Directing

One of the more intriguing creative pairings in recent British television is taking shape. The Ministry of Time, a time-travel web series backed by BBC and A24 Films, is heading into pre-production with a principal photography start scheduled for June 26, 2026 in London. With a writers room pedigree that includes some of the sharpest names working in prestige drama today, this one is worth putting on your radar now, well ahead of the hiring push that is almost certainly coming in the first half of next year.

Alice Birch is both writing and producing the series, a dual role that underscores just how much creative ownership she is bringing to this project. Birch is best known as the writer behind the remarkable limited series Normal People, adapted from Sally Rooney's novel for Hulu and BBC Three, and she wrote the screenplay for the psychological thriller Lady Macbeth. Her work is defined by its emotional precision, its willingness to let silence carry weight, and its deeply literary sensibility. She also contributed to the writers room on Succession, which tells you something about the caliber of room she operates in. Joining her as producer is Jo McClellan, a seasoned production figure with strong ties to the British television landscape. Together, their producing partnership suggests a set culture that prizes creative rigor and close collaboration between the writing and production sides of the house.

Directing is Aneil Karia, whose short film Surge announced him as a major talent and whose feature debut of the same name, starring Ben Whishaw, drew widespread critical attention for its formally inventive, almost visceral approach to storytelling. Karia has since directed episodes of The Bear for FX, one of the most technically demanding and creatively ambitious comedy-dramas currently in production anywhere in the world. His background in kinetic, emotionally immersive filmmaking is a strong signal for the kind of visual language this series is likely to pursue. Birch and Karia are a natural pairing on paper, two artists who share an interest in psychological interiority and form-breaking storytelling, and it will be worth watching whether this marks the beginning of a longer creative relationship.

The production carries the combined weight of two very distinct but equally prestigious banners. The BBC, as a co-producing partner, brings its long institutional history with British drama and its deep infrastructure for production in the United Kingdom. A24, the American independent studio and distributor that has become synonymous with elevated genre filmmaking and awards-season prestige, brings international distribution muscle and the kind of creative autonomy that has attracted major talent across film and television. The pairing of BBC and A24 on a British series is a notable signal. It suggests a production that is targeting both a domestic BBC audience and a wider international platform play, with a budget tier likely sitting above a standard BBC in-house commission. For crew, that typically translates to a well-resourced shoot with union agreements firmly in place and a production culture that takes craft seriously.

Filming is set for London, and the location is entirely consistent with the material. The series centers on a government body conducting time travel experiments, pulling historical figures including Commander Graham Gore, the Royal Navy officer who served on the doomed Franklin Expedition, into the present day and placing them in modern flatshares with contemporary handlers called bridges. The story blends conspiracy thriller mechanics with intimate character drama, following what happens when these displaced historical figures form genuine bonds with the people assigned to monitor them, and what those people must risk when the Ministry's true intentions become clear. London's built environment, from its Georgian terraces to its brutalist housing estates, offers exactly the kind of layered visual contrast this premise demands. Productions of this nature in London typically base out of facilities in the capital itself, with stages at Shepperton, Leavesden, or Three Mills among the likely candidates depending on the scale of any built sets required for period or Ministry interiors.

The genre blend here carries real implications for crew. Time travel drama with period elements and a contemporary urban setting means the art and costume departments will carry significant creative and logistical load, designing for both the modern day and the historical periods from which characters are drawn. Commander Graham Gore's Arctic naval origins alone suggest substantial period costume and set dressing work. The conspiracy thriller throughline, combined with Karia's visually driven directing style, points toward a production that will invest meaningfully in its cinematography and production design. This is not a dialogue-driven procedural shot on location with minimal dressing. Expect a full and well-resourced creative department build-out as pre-production deepens through late 2025 and into 2026.

With cameras not scheduled to roll until June 2026, the production is in its early pre-production phase, which means the most senior department head hires are likely just beginning or still a few months away. That said, a production of this profile with BBC and A24 attached tends to move its key hires earlier than smaller productions might, particularly for roles like production designer, director of photography, and costume designer where the creative development process benefits from early collaboration with the director. If you are a London-based department head or senior crew member working in any of those areas, this is the moment to make your interest known. The full production listing for The Ministry of Time on ProductionList.com includes current crew contacts, production office details, and scheduling updates as they are confirmed. Check back regularly as pre-production builds toward its 2026 start.

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