Michael Hirst writing mini-series Alexander

The Tudors, Elizabeth and Camelot writer Michael Hirst is writing Alexander, a new English-language mini-series about the famed Macedonian commander, for ZDF Enterprises, Beta Film and Gruppe 5.

The series idea was spawned by Uwe Kersken, managing partner of Gruppe 5, who is currently working closely with Michael Hirst on the concept and the first scripts.

The series, which will likely be a hot development project at MipTV, is expected to comprise eight to 12 hour-long episodes, with production set to begin in 2014.

Hirst said of the project: “Not many rulers are ever called ‘Great.’ Alexander of Macedonia was the first, and is still probably the greatest. By the age of 33 he had explored and conquered most of the known world, and was already widely acknowledged to be a god.

“But for me, the fascination of this series lies in the character of the man himself. Taught by Aristotle, descended from Hercules, Alexander remained full of doubts, as well as questions about the nature and purpose of life. From ancient history he reaches out to talk to those who still dream of shattering the boundaries and limits of human experience.”