Is It’s A Sin based on a true story?
CHANNEL 4 show It's A Sin has captured the hearts of viewers.
It tells the story of Ritchie, Roscoe and Coli - young, gay men who are all navigating life in London at the height of the AIDS pandemic. Here's the real story behind the show...
Is It's A Sin based on a true story?
It's A Sin isn't directly based on a true story, but creator Russell T Davies has revealed he drew on his own experiences as a young man in London when writing the Channel 4 show.
The writer said he agonised over starting the series, as he “had to make a very big choice as to whether to make [it] very factual”.
But Davies revealed: "A lot of it is based on myself, people I know and stories that people have told me from over the decades,
"Just bits and odds from all over the place."
The events in It's A Sin "fits my life, literally" explained Davies.
He continued: "I was 18 in 1981, a lot of my friends went to live in London... and moved into a big flat in Hamptead and they called it the 'Pink Palace'," he said.
"A lot of the dialogue was there, the jokes and their rhythms and stuff like that."
In addition, Russell has revealed that the character of Colin is inspired by one of his ex-boyfriends.
He told Metro: “He was someone I went out with in the 90s who trained to be a tailor and went to New York to fit lords and ladies with their suits and gowns – beautiful man."
What is It's A Sin about?
The groundbreaking show centres around Ritchie, Roscoe and Coli, who all meet in London in 1981.
Together, the three lads move in with friends Ash and Jill to a shared flat, which they call the "Pink Palace".
The boys are in their late teens and early twenties, and must navigate London in 1981 - in the midst of the AIDS crisis.
As the threat of HIV becomes ever-closer, Ritchie, Roscoe and Coli are forced to come to terms with the reality of the debilitating virus.
Most read in Drama
When is It's A Sin on TV?
It’s A Sin began on January 22 on Channel 4.
It airs at 9pm on Fridays and all five episodes are available to stream on All4 now.
It’s A Sin – After Hours accompanies the show and launches weekly after the main show airs on Channel 4, featuring a mix of cast members and special guests.