The 10-part series follows Coel as a struggling British novelist who is offered a job in her parents' homeland of Ghana.
The BBC have today announced that Michaela Coel will write, star and serve as an executive producer on First Day on Earth which is made by by Various Artists Limited in association with A24 and co-produced with HBO.
The 10-part series, follows Michaela Coel as British novelist Henri, who is stuck. Work has dried up, her relationship is going nowhere. So when she's offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa, her parents' homeland, where her estranged father lives, she can't resist the chance to reconnect with him and the country of her heritage.
But when she arrives neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected, and soon Henri has to deal with danger and hypocrisy, form new friendships, lose her illusions, and create a new sense of identity - one that might leave her stronger, but could also break her.
Speaking about First Day on Earth, writer, actor and executive producer Michaela Coel said "I am delighted to be working with VAL, the BBC and HBO again, and to partner with A24; thanks to all of their combined taste, care and expertise, I feel our show is in great hands."
"The process of creating FDOE thus far has been a beautifully intimate experience, and I am excited to embark on the next phase to eventually offer this as another televisual gift for anyone willing to accompany Henri on what will be a wild odyssey!"
To which executive producers for Various Artists Limited (VAL), Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni added "We’re delighted and feel extremely lucky that Michaela chose to bring her brilliant new show to us, after the extraordinary experience we had working together on I May Destroy You."
"Yet again, Michaela delivers a highly original, singular story that explores the relationship between England and Ghana via a second generation British-Ghanaian woman who takes up the opportunity to return to the homeland of her parents and finds herself encountering a cast of memorable characters and experiences that force her to face some painful home truths. But as ever with Michaela, it is by turns shocking, funny and unforgettable, and done in her inimitable style."
Announcing the series ahead of the Edinburgh TV Festival, Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said "Michaela is one of those exceptional talents whose work I have long admired. I May Destroy You is one of the reasons I wanted to join the BBC! In First Day on Earth, Michaela has created another unmissable series - truly original, heartfelt, hilarious, poetic storytelling and told in a way that only Michaela can. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
To which Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO & Max Comedy Programming, added“Michaela’s words have the ability to transport the reader like no other. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue the conversation that began with I May Destroy You, alongside our close collaborators at VAL, A24 and the BBC. With Henri as our guide, First Day on Earth is as lyrical as it is visceral in its excavation of the idea of home. “
Filming is scheduled to start next year on First Day on Earth which will be executive produced by Michaela Coel, with Jesse Armstrong, Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni for Various Artists Limited, Jo McClellan for the BBC, and Piers Wenger for A24.
First Day on Earth will air on BBC One
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