BBC One is developing a criminal underworld drama called Dope Girls, a story based on the non-fiction book Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground by author Marek Kohn. Here’s some information about this forthcoming series via Women and Hollywood:

A female-led “spiritual successor” to “Peaky Blinders” is in the works at BBC One…“Dope Girls” will delve “into the history of Soho’s criminal underworld.”

Written by Polly Stenham (“The Neon Demon”) and Alex Warren (“Eleanor”), the series is inspired by Marek Kohn’s non-fiction book “Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground.”

An article in Deadline reveals more plot details. “‘Dope Girls’: BBC Lines Up Bad Wolf Drama About Female Crime Boss In Soho’s Criminal Underworld”:

Full plot details haven’t been revealed but we understand it follows the birth of the nightclub scene in London’s Soho. The series will mix elements of the fact-based research of Kohn’s book with fictional characters and storylines, exploring all aspects of the criminal world of Soho in the early 20th Century.

We hear it’s partly based on the true story of conservative, god-fearing 42-year old single mother Kate Meyrick, who builds a nightclub empire and criminal family enterprise and becomes the most dangerous woman in London as well as a competitor to Brilliant Chang, the baron of Soho’s gritty underworld. 

Her nightclubs are fuelled by drugs and alcohol that allow for a generation of World War I veterans and survivors to forget their trauma and break through the rigid patriarchal structures of the era to allow women to dance, have sex and do drugs with whoever they want.

You can read more about Dope Girls in this article, BBC developing ‘spiritual successor to Peaky Blinders’ set in London, and also this one from UK Daily: ‘Dope Girls’: BBC sets up ‘Bad Wolf’ drama about a crime boss in Soho’s criminal underworld.

The Scarcity of Female Villain Protagonists

Mainstream shows and movies with female criminal/villain leads who build criminal empires are few and far between, so as a longtime fan of that genre, I’m excited Dope Girls even exists. A few years ago, there had been reports of a show about the all-female gang The Forty Elephants, but it hasn’t materialized yet. At least we now have a book titled The Forty Elephants by author Erin Bledsoe. Her story was inspired by Alice Diamond, the real-life historical figure who led this all-female London gang.

As an author, I’m excited about Dope Girls because it means mainstream media has given such stories a stamp of approval. That show’s existence sends a message (for those who need it) that such stories are worth watching. By extension, viewers will likely perceive other stories in this genre as worthwhile, too.

Based on current available information, Dope Girls is a “comp title” (comp=comparison) for my steampunk romance saga A Villainous Affair, which is about two villains who fall in love while plotting to conquer England. One of the main characters, Ruby Darling, is a thief who rises from the bowels of London to become queen of the underworld. During the course of the story, she joins forces with my own fictionalized version of The Forty Elephants, but that’s a topic for another post.

I should note that drug dealing and drug use seem like key elements in Dope Girls, whereas aether power fuels the narrative in AVA. My books do feature some drug use, but that element isn’t central to the story the way it is with Dope Girls.

In a broad sense, Dope Girls and A Villainous Affair likely share the following elements:

• female criminals/gangs

• London underworld setting

• fashion glow-ups

• action-adventure & danger

• historical setting

• criminal empire

• female power

• smash the patriarchy

• social commentary

• underrepresented characters

• feminist themes

Are mainstream movies/shows useful comp titles for self-published books?

A Villainous Affair was released in 2021, which means I wrote it far before Dope Girls was finished (and incidentally, AVA came out about a year prior to Erin Bledsoe’s The Forty Elephants). One factor that motivated me to write AVA was the dearth of stories like it in either trad published books or mainstream television (If such stories exist in the realm of self-published books, I have yet to find it).

Years later, Dope Girls is now close to becoming a reality. This recent news reveals that in the context of stories about female criminals who build criminal empires, my imagination paralleled those of the creators of Dope Girls.

I, a self-published author outside the mainstream, was creating edgy, innovative content about a girlboss villain long before and independent of Dope Girls. In fact, A Villainous Affair is so edgy that it includes a critique of white feminism by the white girlboss main character. Oh, and the story also has a sparkly polyamorous romance involving two humans and a…well, far be it from me to spoil it for you!

The question is, how much does a strong mainstream media TV show comp title matter for a niche story like A Villainous Affair? A mainstream show or movie could be an excellent comp title for one’s book, but if you’re an obscure author, do readers take the comparison seriously?

I’m the last person to claim that shared elements between Dope Girls and AVA means my book should be widely adored, or that A Villainous Affair has the same perceived status as Dope Girls. This isn’t a comparison about quality, either, because the reality is that Dope Girls may not please everyone, just as AVA won’t. I’m nothing if not a realist!

Rather, I’m highlighting a situation wherein an obscure book like mine will likely have an unexpectedly accurate comp title should Dope Girls find distribution. For marketing purposes, should I ignore that aspect because I’m a self-published author at the bottom of the publishing hierarchy or embrace it by pointing out the similarities for potential readers? If I present Dope Girls as a comp title for A Villainous Affair, will folks take me seriously or respond with scorn at my boldness?

Regardless, Dope Girls validates my work because it demonstrates there’s an audience for AVA even if my books are virtually undiscoverable because of the systemic barriers in publishing. I’ll know that the audience exists even if they never discover A Villainous Affair. As an obscure, self-published author of unusual sci-fi romance, that’s all I can expect.

Learn more about A Villainous Affair by Heather Massey

If I’ve piqued your interest in A Villainous Affair, read the series’ summary below, and then follow the links for all the information you need to know to discover if this story is for you.

Supervillains, steampunk, and social justice rebels collide in an epic adventure about an unlikely pair of thieves who join forces to battle mobs, evil scientists, and a fascist regime for the control of a powerful aether invention. The outcome of their revolutionary mission will determine the fate of Victorian England—and beyond.

Meanwhile, this dynamic duo of the London underworld struggles to keep their fake marriage strictly professional at a time when they’re focused on achieving wide-scale social reform. But even their combined power of brains and brawn may not be enough to shield them from the siren’s call of love.

Heather Massey’s fantastical steampunk romance quartet mixes Birds of Prey girl gang energy with the political panache of V for Vendetta. It’s seasoned with high-octane action, fashion glow-ups, underworld intrigue, and infernal devices.

Inspired by lady supervillains, social justice movements, and the magic of science, A Villainous Affair will delight fans who love the worldbuilding prowess of Meljean Brook, the Victorian underworld characters of Sarah MacLean, and the resistance romances of Alyssa Cole.

Enjoy!