BBC Studios and Anton have commissioned short-form series “Cheaters” from “The End of the F***ing World” producer Clerkenwell Films. The premium short-film scripted series is the first commission under a development pact between the three companies, first announced in September 2018.

“Cheaters,” an 18-part comedy-drama told in 10-minute chapters, will be produced by Clerkenwell and co-financed by BBC Studios and Anton as part of a deal to develop and fund a slate of high-end, short-form drama and comedy projects. The long-term development deal is focused on creating premium, high volume, short-form content for digital and linear platforms. The “Cheaters” commission marks the first time BBC Studios has fully commissioned a drama without a broadcaster already attached.

Described as a “sexy, messy, comedy drama about morality and monogamy, and everything in between,” “Cheaters” was written and created by Oliver Lyttelton. Clerkenwell’s chief executive Murray Ferguson will serve as an executive producer, alongside Petra Fried, Matt Jarvis, Emily Harrison, and Caroline Stone. The series is scheduled to go into production in February next year.

“We’ve seen an increase in the demand for super-premium content in a bite-sized format and ‘Cheaters’ is a bold comedy drama that will engage audiences in this new way,” said Mark Linsey, chief creative officer at BBC Studios. “It’s young, it’s fresh and comes from Clerkenwell who have a well-established knack for creating punchy and eye-catching content that audiences just love.”

Ferguson said “Cheaters” is the first of several series Clerkenwell is developing in the short-form format. “It’s clear from the success of ‘The End of the F***ing World’ that there is a huge appetite globally for new and innovative content that is high quality yet easy to consume and prepared to break with convention both in format and narrative content,” said Ferguson.

BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the British pubcaster, holds a 48% share in Clerkenwell.