Mary Poppins Going Dark? New, Serious Series Now In The Works

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Posted in: Editor's Picks TV News, TV | Tagged: mary poppins

Mary Poppins Going Dark? New, Serious Series Now In The Works

It seems an adaptation of P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins novels is in development, but with a more suspenseful and sinister edge to it.

Published Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:08:08 -0500
by Jeremy Konrad
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Article Summary

  • A new Mary Poppins TV series is reportedly in development, drawing from P.L. Travers' novels instead of Disney's classic film.
  • This Mary Poppins adaptation is said to emphasize the books' darker, stranger, and more suspenseful tone.
  • Tom Winchester, See-Saw Films, and Pure Fiction Television are attached to the Mary Poppins series now in the works.
  • The planned Mary Poppins reboot could take a Wednesday-style approach, reimagining the beloved character in a serious new way.

Mary Poppins is returning, only this time it might have a more sinister edge. A new series is in the works from Tom Winchester for Pure Fiction Television, who is behind Slow Horses and Heartstopper, with See-Saw Films and the UK talent agency Hamilton Hodell. Winchester produced the first season of Shōgun. Deadline reports that the series will be based on the eight novels starring the character by author P.L. Travers, not the Disney film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. No spoonfuls of sugar here. No, they seem to want to lean into the darker and more frightening aspects of the novels. So, way more spooky.

Mary Poppins cover. Image Credit Clarion Books.

Mary Poppins Goes Full Wednesday

The most famous version of the story is, of course, the 1964 Disney film. It was the highest-grossing film that year and earned a record 13 Academy Award nominations, winning five:  Best Actress for Andrews, Best Film Editing, Best Original Music Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee". The National Film Registry selected it for preservation in 2013. A legacy sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, was made in 2018, starring Emily Blunt in the title role, and was a modest success and a favorite of this writer.

Image: Disney; Universal

But this wouldn't be that. This would be a Wednesday-style reboot of the property, because that is what we do now. I am not saying it wouldn't be interesting to see the novels adapted seriously; the material is really good and a great read if you ever get the chance. But the original film is so well made and such an iconic classic; part of me wants it left alone. As much as I loved that second Mary Poppins film, I knew in the back of my mind they probably shouldn't have made it. Time will tell if we feel this way about this possible series.

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