Independent producer Modern Television – founded by Griff Rhys Jones – is hard at work on their forthcoming single drama A Poet in New York, about the last days of iconic Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas.

Thomas became known as much for his excessive drinking and larger than life personality as for his acclaimed works, which included Under Milk Wood and A Child”s Christmas in Wales. He travelled to New York in October 1953 for a poetry reading tour, and died on 9 November, aged just 39.

Seasoned TV writer Andrew Davies has written the screenplay, which will be directed by Aisling Walsh and produced by Ruth Caleb. Griff Rhys Jones exec produces along with Bethan Jones of BBC Cymru Wales.

Filming in Wales begins in the summer, for broadcast on BBC Two and BBC One Wales.

More information about A Poet In New York can be found on Production Intelligence, the online database of advance productions from The Knowledge.