BBC Studios develops Bliss adaptation with Tony Ayres

BBC Studios Australia Productions is developing a television adaptation of Peter Carey’s novel Bliss, with Tony Ayres attached as creator and writer.

The series will adapt Carey’s 1981 novel in a contemporary setting. No broadcaster, streaming platform or production timeline has been announced.

Bliss follows advertising executive Harry Joy, who suffers a heart attack and becomes convinced he is living in hell. The series will examine family, marriage, faith and identity through multiple perspectives.

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Tony Ayres to create and write series

Ayres first read Bliss in his mid-20s, describing it as a “profound, seismic literary experience”.

He said revisiting the novel in 2026 had affected him differently, with its central premise of waking up convinced that you are living in hell carrying renewed relevance.

“A contemporary version of BLISS will explore the highs and lows of the human condition, and the full range of acts between nobility and venality which we are capable of,” Ayres said.

Carey’s debut novel won the Miles Franklin Literary Award after its publication in 1981.

It was previously adapted into a 1985 feature film directed by Ray Lawrence. The film was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival that year.

BBC Studios expands Australian drama slate

Kylie Washington, EVP and creative director at BBC Studios Australia Productions, said the company was working with Ayres to bring a new perspective to Carey’s novel while retaining its original legacy.

She said the adaptation would explore identity, morality and transformation for contemporary audiences, including existing fans of the novel and new viewers.

“BLISS reflects BBC Studios’ ongoing commitment to investing in premium Australian storytelling and expanding our scripted slate with high-quality drama that travels locally and internationally,” Washington said.

BBC Studios Australia Productions’ scripted slate includes Return to Paradise, Ghosts Australia and The Office Australia. The company also owns Werner Film Productions, the production company behind The Newsreader and Goolagong.

Carey said: “I’m delighted that Tony Ayres and BBC Studios are adapting BLISS. I look forward to seeing how the story evolves for contemporary audiences while retaining its original spirit.”