Based on Jones' 2018 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, the series moves from West London's council estates, to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's notorious Kings Road SEX shop, to the international controversy that came with the release of Never Mind the Bollocks, which is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time. Their single "God Save the Queen" was banned by the BBC and reached Number 1 on the UK's NME chart, but appeared at Number 2 on the Official UK Singles chart, leading to accusations that the song was purposely kept off the top spot. For the only time in chart history, the track was listed as a blank, to avoid offense to the monarchy.
The series will star Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, Anson Boon as John Lydon, Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Fabien Frankel as Glen Matlock, Dylan Llewellyn as Wally Nightingale, Sydney Chandler as Chrissie Hynde, Emma Appleton as Nancy Spungen, and Maisie Williams as punk icon Jordan.
Craig Pearce and Frank Cottrell Boyce created the series, with Academy Award-winner Danny Boyle set to direct. They will executive produce with Gail Lyon, Anita Camarata, Tracey Seaward, Paul Lee and Hope Hartman. FX Productions and wiip will produce.
"It's great to be back in business with Danny Boyle, an exceptional artist responsible for so many great feature films and TV series," said Nick Grad, President of Original Programming, FX Entertainment. "Steve Jones was at the center of the storm that shook the rock establishment and we're thrilled to have Danny and the rest of the creative team tell his story as a member of one of music's most notorious bands - the Sex Pistols."
