Emma Frost

Frost’s background in script editing may have given her valuable insight into the development process, but it also means she has had to prove she is more than just a by-the-numbers hack. Her first big original piece, last year’s BBC4 drama Consuming Passion, did just that. Inspired by the romantic fiction of Mills & Boon, it showcased Frost’s skill at making amusing entertainment with an intricately structured narrative. For Origin Pictures and BBC Films, Frost is now writing A Life In Secrets about Second World War spymistress Vera Atkins, and a film version of Consuming Passion, as well as reinventing the Mr Benn children’s stories for BBC Films. “[Frost] has a really original take on material and a fresh, distinctive voice,” says Ed Rubin, head of development at Origin Pictures.