With such a wide range of entertainment offerings, what is it that the BBC does best?

Is it riveting dramas that have us connecting the dots and discussing theories for years to come (Line Of Duty, we’re talking about you)? Or is it the crop of twisty thrillers like Luther, Inside Man and The Tourist that always have us coming back for more?

Well, you could argue that where it really excels is its small-screen adaptations of the classics. Great Expectations, Pride And Prejudice, Little Dorrit, Wolf Hall… and now William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.

The 1954 novel has been treated to multiple film adaptations, most notably in 1963 and 1990. However, as announced yesterday, renowned British novelist Golding’s tale of civilisation and savagery is to be adapted for television for the first time by Eleven and multi-Bafta award-winning screenwriter Jack Thorne.

Best known for his work on National Treasure, Help and This Is England ’90, Thorne will re-tell the well-known story of a group of young boys who find themselves stranded on a tropical island in a series of four 60-minute episodes for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

“In an attempt to remain civil, the boys organise themselves, led by Ralph and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy. But Jack, who is in charge of signal fire duty, is more interested in hunting and vying for leadership and begins to draw other boys away from the order of the group and ultimately from hope to tragedy,” the synopsis teases.

Joining Thorne are Eleven’s Joel Wilson and Jamie Campbell (Ten Pound Poms, Sex Education) as executive producers.

“We are so excited that Jack Thorne will be adapting such an iconic, timeless and much-loved novel for television for the very first time – and that the adaptation has been endorsed by the late William Golding’s family,” said Lindsay Salt, the director of BBC Drama. “It’s a formidable writing and production team that will bring these definitive characters to life for all generations.”

At this early stage, further details on casting, characters and release date have yet to be released. However, we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop as soon as we know more.

In the meantime, why not check out our picks of the best BBC dramas to binge now?

Images: Faber & Faber