A Darker ‘Mary Poppins’ TV Series Is in the Works, and It’s Heading Straight Back to the Books
For most audiences, Mary Poppins means Julie Andrews floating down with her umbrella in Disney’s 1964 musical. That film, co-starring Dick Van Dyke, turned P.L. Travers’ magical nanny into one of the most beloved characters in movie history.
The story behind that adaptation has become famous in its own right. Travers’ relationship with Walt Disney and the studio was explored in 2013’s ‘Saving Mr. Banks’, starring Emma Thompson as the author and Tom Hanks as Disney, while Emily Blunt later took over the role in 2018’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’, according to WDW News Today.
Now the practically perfect nanny is heading to television. According to an exclusive report from Deadline, a live-action ‘Mary Poppins’ TV series is in the works. Rather than retelling the Disney film, the project plans to return to Travers’ original 8 novels and open up the larger, stranger world she created.
Deadline noted that the Mary Poppins of the books is often considered more mysterious, mercurial, and dangerous than her film version, with adventures that are magical, surreal, and sometimes frightening. The news quickly caught fire online; fans had fun with the darker premise, including one who resurfaced a popular meme contrasting a cheerful umbrella image with a stormy, lightning-filled one.
The series is being developed and produced by Tom Winchester for Pure Fiction Television, an indie backed by the ‘Slow Horses’ and ‘Heartstopper’ company See-Saw Films and UK talent agency Hamilton Hodell. Winchester optioned the rights from the trustees of the P.L. Travers estate and is developing the show on their behalf.
He has experience with major literary adaptations. According to Snip Daily, Winchester was a producer on the first season of ‘Shōgun’, based on James Clavell’s novel, and is also developing Barry Eisler’s John Rain assassin books into a series for Apple TV.
The situation with Disney is particularly interesting. WDW News Today reported that, from a rights perspective, Disney doesn’t necessarily need to be involved, though there are early talks to bring the studio on board given its long history with the character.
Men’s Journal added that Disney has not agreed to join yet. Any partnership could shape how closely the new show connects to the iconic film version audiences know. Fans of the books know the character can be quite different from the warm musical heroine. WDW News Today described the literary Mary Poppins as stricter and more vain than Andrews’ famous version.
A ‘MARY POPPINS’ TV series is in the works. The series will aim to adapt some of the more strange and scary parts of the original novels. (Source: Deadline) https://t.co/yy3cpjZzGS
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 25, 2026
Snip Daily noted that she’s not always affectionate or eager to explain herself, and her magic often feels mysterious rather than neatly explained. Travers published the 8 novels between 1934 and 1988, building a much larger world around the Banks family and their unusual nanny.
Fans shouldn’t expect to see the series anytime soon. Men’s Journal reported that the project is still at the pitch stage, with no cast, network, or release date announced, and that its story and tone could change as development continues.
Would you watch a darker Mary Poppins TV series based on P.L. Travers’ original books?
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