Yet More British Detectives, 2015, 2016

This is older news, for the latest check this feed.

Wrapped, upcoming:

The seventh series of Inspector George Gently now has a U.K. air date of Wednesday, April 29, at 8:00 PM.

Full of warmth, humour and attack Gently and Bacchus continue their winning police partnership. Still on their team is the feisty WPC Rachel Coles (Lisa McGrillis – Hebburn) – who appreciates Gently’s forward thinking and gives as good as she gets from Bacchus, crushing his stereotypical male attitude towards a female PC (not without a fight or two along the way!). Both are keen to further their careers and be promoted – which for Bacchus is long overdue.

More information and cast interviews in this press release. Read at your own peril, there are lots of spoilers!

Opening June 17 (U.K.) and July 19 (U.S.):

See it here first. Here is the new official UK trailer for Mr. Holmes (in cinemas across UK and Ireland June 19.) We can look forward to the US trailer soon.Critics are calling 'Mr Holmes' "An utter delight."
Posted by Ian McKellen on Monday, April 20, 2015

Long-running comedy mystery series New Tricks will be ending after its twelfth series, which is to broadcast this autumn. Initially starring a four-member team, the only remaining original cast member is Dennis Waterman as incorrigible Cockney copper, Gerry Standing. However, he has announced that he'll only be appearing in two episodes of the upcoming ten-episode season, which also stars Tamzin Outhwaite, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Denis Lawson, and Waterman's replacement, Larry Lamb.

Sherlock has wrapped filming on its one-off Christmas special (which is to be followed by a normal, three-episode season.)

Stephen Moffat has confirmed that, enigmatically, the special will literally be traveling to London, circa 1895 (the year in which ACD brought SH back from the dead). This was already hinted at by the official photo which featured Sherlock and John as, well, Holmes and Watson, and pictures from the set back it up as well.

Moffatt:

‘We wouldn’t have done the story we’re doing, and the way we’re doing it, if we didn’t have this special. It’s not part of the run of three episodes. So we had this to do it – as we could hardly conceal – it’s Victorian. Mark Gatiss and me, we wanted to do this, but it had to be a special, it had to be separate entity on its own.’

More.

My reviews of Sherlock:
Season 3 -     
Episode 1 - The Empty Hearse     
Episode 2 - The Sign of Three     
Episode 3 - His Last Vow 

The fourth season of Luther started filming May 4 and wrapped April 8. Season 3 ended with Luther possibly quitting the police force after yet another death of someone close to him (so I gather - I haven't seen it.)

Pitted against his most chilling adversary yet, haunted by the ghosts of his past and hell-bent on retribution, he's drawn into a terrifyingly complex case that pushes him closer to the edge than he's ever been.

While I found the show too dark for my taste, a glimpse of the great Patrick Malahide (who was splendid as Inspector Alleyn, and had a memorable cameo in Inspector Morse) on set with Elba is awfully tempting. Season 4, which consists of two hourlong episodes, is going to air this fall. No word on whether the show will see the return of Ruth Wilson as chilling sociopath Alice Morgan.

In the meanwhile, the American remake is still off the future.

#LUTHER fans! @idriselba has a message for you... https://t.co/53k8d0wgU0
— BBC One (@BBCOne) April 8, 2015 

Filming:

Not sure if BBC1's Partners in Crime has finished filming, but some fun pictures of David Walliams and Jessica Raine on set as Agatha Christie's married sleuths, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, have leaked out.

The roles were previously filled by Francesca Annis and James Warwick in a 1983 TV series, and by Anthony Andrews and Greta Scacchi in a 2006 episode of Agatha Christie's Marple. 

The new series will appear in six parts. The first three episodes adapt the novel, The Secret Adversary and the last three tackle N or M?. They are written, respectively, by Zinnie Harris and Claire Wilson. We're probably looking at a Christmas 2015 air date, along with the new adaptation of And Then There Were None.

Endeavour, the terrific prequel to Inspector Morse, has begun filming season 3 in Oxford, and the first photos have trickled out to the interwebs. Roger Allam is right there on the set, but this could, strictly speaking, be for a flashback scene. I will leave that one up to your speculation.

Set in 1967, three months after Donald Campbell’s ill-fated attempt to break the 300-mile speed barrier on water, the first of the new stories follows the murder of bus conductress Jeannie Hearne on the night she visited the local fairground. With the backdrop of the fun fair the investigation begins…

“1967 is for Endeavour ‘perhaps the end of the beginning.’ Change is abroad in the world and not even the city of dreaming spires can escape its influence. Change for Endeavour, and those most dear to him – personally and professionally. Departures and arrivals. Entrances and exits. Our next quartet of mysteries will take the audience on a psychedelic Summer of Love fairground ride, filled with twists and turns, shrieks and scares. In particular, one encounter at a certain stately home will echo down the years, and have consequences that not even Endeavour Morse could have foreseen. The only constant is death… And Green Shield Stamps,” says writer Russell Lewis.

For more set pictures, look here and here.

This press release gives some more details.

My reviews of Endeavour:
Season 1 -      
Episode 1 - Girl     
Episode 2 - Fugue     
Episode 3 - Rocket     
Episode 4 - Home   

Season 2 -     
Episode 1 - Trove     
Episode 2 - Nocturne     
Episode 3 - Sway     
Episode 4 - Neverland 

About to film:

Inspector Lewis will be back for series 9 (season 8) once Laurence Fox has finished his first album. However - while D.S. Lizzie Maddox (Angela Griffin) will be returning, Rebecca Front will not be reprising her role as D.C.S. Jean Innocent. While I've enjoyed Innocent's run, I must admit I welcome the change. Lewis has become a bit too plodding of late. Innocent's replacement has not yet been announced. We're looking at six episodes (presumably keeping with the pattern of splitting each story into two parts.) The first is currently entitled One for Sorrow.

Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox reprise their roles as the detectives renowned for investigating Oxford’s most complex murders, alongside Angela Griffin (Mount Pleasant, Waterloo Road, Coronation Street) as Detective Sergeant Lizzie Maddox.

The arrival of a new Chief Superintendent heralds a fresh dawn for Oxfordshire Police, although the high flyer soon clashes with Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) over the latter’s more traditional approach to detective work. With forensic pathologist Laura Hobson (Clare Holman) contemplating early retirement, and the new boss piling on the pressure, will Lewis finally decide to call time on his policing career?

Meanwhile, after years of avoiding the thorny issue of family ties, Hathaway (Laurence Fox) is forced to confront his past.

The new series of Lewis will go into production in May 2015 and once again feature the beautiful locations in and around the city of Oxford.

My reviews: Season 8 -     
Episode 1 - Entry Wounds     
Episode 2 - Lions of Nemea
Episode 3 - Beyond Good and Evil

Renewed:

Father Brown Series 4                  Broadchurch Series 3 Info/reviews                     Grantchester Series 2

New stuff to come:

ITV has cast Rowan Atkinson to play Inspector Maigret. The last English adaptation was in the 90's, and starred a superb Michael Gambon.

Set in the 1950’s in Paris, the first of the two x 120’ films, Maigret Sets A Trap and Maigret’s Dead Man, will go into production in September 2015.... 

With his laconic manner, heavy coat and trademark pipe, the formidable character of Jules Maigret first appeared in print in 1931.... 

On his role as Maigret, Rowan Atkinson said: “I have been a devourer of the Maigret novels for many years and I’m very much looking forward to playing such an intriguing character, at work in Paris during a fascinating period in its history.”... 

John Simenon said: “Maigret has been part of our family for almost nine decades, and we are bringing together one of the best-known characters in world literature with one of the greatest international stars. I have no doubt my father, like me, would have approved of Rowan’s casting and been very excited to see him inhabit his most renowned creation.”

After remaking Broadchurch and planning to remake Luther, FOX  has continued its trend of snatching British ideas by planning a series on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (this comes right on the heels of ITV's Arthur and George - which has yet to air in America). This time, he'll be investigating supernatural doings stateside, accompanied by his real-life friend Harry Houdini. It does sound a bit intriguing:

In Houdini And Doyle, two of the great characters of the 20th century — Houdini, master magician, escape artist and paranormal debunker, and Doyle, creator of the world’s greatest detective and a paranormal aficionado — grudgingly join forces to investigate crimes with a supernatural slant. Although they’re both rich, famous and brilliant, they’re the original odd couple, with Houdini believing in nothing, Doyle in everything. 

Houdini and Doyle were born 15 years apart into dramatically different families — Doyle the educated product of a proper Scottish upbringing and Houdini the self-made son of a Hungarian immigrant. The two men, whose physical appearances also were in stark contrast, stroke an unusual and often rocky friendship based to their mutual interest in spiritualism.

The Maisie Dobbs series, by Jacqueline Winspear, has been optioned by SLAM TV. 

Well, seeing as some of you have seen a certain announcement in the various book selling/publishing/entertainment press...
Posted by Jacqueline Winspear on Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Want something good to watch? Check out my full list of good detective shows.

Longish