ITV Studios owned Eagle Eye Drama have confirmed PBS Distribution have bought the North American rights of Mark Gatiss’ detective series Bookish.

The six part series is created by Emmy award winning writer Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock) who stars in the titular role as the erudite and unconventional antiquarian bookshop owner, Gabriel Book. Polly Walker (Bridgerton, Line of Duty) stars alongside as his colourful wife Trottie, who owns the wallpaper shop next door to Book’s on Archangel Lane. They love each other deeply but theirs is a ‘lavender’ marriage because Book is gay. Other core cast members include Connor Finch (Everything I Know About Love) as Jack, Olivier award-winner Elliot Levey (We Were the Lucky Ones, Quiz) as Inspector Bliss, Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners, World on Fire) as Sgt. Morris and Buket Kömür (Our House) as Nora.

Bookish will also feature an impressive line-up of guest stars including  Joely Richardson(The Gentleman, The Ballad of Renegade Nell), Daniel Mays (A Thousand Blows, The Long Shadow), Paul McGann (Luther, Withnail & I), Jonas Nay (Deutschland 83, Concordia), Elizabeth Berrington (Doctor Who, The Office), Rosie Cavaliero (Vera Drake, Jane Eyre), Rina Krasniqi (Silence of the Sirens, Okarina). Angeliki Papoulia (Dogtooth, The Lobster), Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (Midas Man, The Queens Gambit) and Mark Benton (Patience, Eddie the Eagle).

The series is set in London in 1946. It’s a chaotic time, London is a dangerous place to be and the police are kept permanently busy. Book is called upon to help solve the most puzzling crimes and murders. Each of the three main crime cases spans two-episode instalments. In the UK the series will launch on UKTV’s specialist crime drama channel U&alibi and world sales are being handled by Beta Film.

Mark Gatiss said “I’m absolutely thrilled that PBS Distribution have welcomed Bookish into its domain! The show couldn’t have a more prestigious and legendary “partner in crime”!”

Chief Creative Officer Eagle Eye Drama Jo McGrath added “We are delighted to be partnering once again with our colleagues at PBS Distribution on our brand-new Mark Gatiss detective series. Over the years, our great editorial and strategic synergy has resulted in teaming up on a range of fantastic returnable procedural series such as ITV’s ‘Professor T’ and C4’s ‘Patience’, not to mention the historical family drama ‘Hotel Portofino’, which has wrapped its third season. Mark Gatiss has created a standout, delicious new detective in Gabriel Book, and we are excited to bring his impeccable, sophisticated writing and uniquely and iconically British sensibility to audiences in North America.”

The series is directed by Carolina Giammetta (the recently announced new Director of Drama at Eagle Eye) and is being produced in association with Happy Duck Films and is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter.

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Categories: Press Releases

Tags: itv, PBS