Great news! The Guardian has reported that BBC Two is developing a 21st century version of Our Friends in the North. Now, that’s not strictly a new Our Friends In The North… but… well… read on.

The project is called White Heat, and, in like Peter Flannery’s much loved Nineties epic, follows the story of a group of people from the Sixties to present day. This new show will focus on some London-based art students from 1965-onward.

Milne, who recently adapted Small Island, Andrea Levy’s novel about the experiences of immigrants to Britain from the West Indies for BBC1, says the storylines in her series centre firmly around the lives of women, rather than men.

There’s no news on the casting as yet. Our Friends In The North featured Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee and Daniel Craig… so I think it’s fair to say that White Heat will feature a strong cast indeed.

What’s so exciting about this development is that it’s a clear sign that Auntie is pulling out the stops to make a grand, involving and serious drama for us all to get our teeth into. Here’s hoping it’s a huge success.