Baptiste: Everything You Need To Know
Good news, MASTERPIECE Mystery! fans. A new crime drama is coming soon. Don’t miss a second of the crime drama Baptiste, premiering Sunday, April 12 at a special time — 10/9c. From the adrenalized plot to its stunning setting (Amsterdam), and the cast that clever fans will recognize as MASTERPIECE fan favorites, find out what you need to know before the premiere.
[Note: Baptiste contains scenes that may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.]
- 1.
Anything but Retiring: A Plot Full of Twists and Turns
Retired detective Julien Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo) may think his crime-solving days are far behind him, but when an old friend calls him up for help with a missing person case in Amsterdam, Baptiste is thrown back into his old world —even if he believes, as he so often says, “I’m not the man I used to be.”
“Celia [Julien’s wife] and Julien are in Amsterdam to help their daughter and son-in-law look after their grandchild,” Karyo said. “While there, Martha, Julien’s ex-girlfriend, who is well aware of his methodical, crime solving skills, tries to get him involved in a case. Julien had decided not to go back to his other life but he can’t let go, and Celia knows that it would be good for both him and for their relationship so she encourages him to get out of the house.”
Alongside Baptiste on the hunt for the missing sex worker Natalie Rose is her uncle Edward Stratton, who has been desperately searching the city for her to no avail, and fears the worst.
Executive Producer and writer Jack Williams teased, “What starts as a favor ends up putting the life of Baptiste and his family in danger…”
- 2.
A Fresh Start to Another Series
If you watched The Missing, then you’re already primed for the next chapter with Baptiste. While Baptiste technically is a spinoff, it is a standalone series, so new fans can jump in without having seen The Missing, and not miss a heart-pounding beat of the action.
For Executive Producers and writers Harry and Jack Williams, coming back to the character of Julien Baptiste in the new series was something they had been particularly interested in exploring.
“When we wrote the first The Missing, the series was born out of the character of Julien Baptiste,” Harry said. “The Missing was about loss, tragedy, and missing children exclusively, so doing Baptiste was us going back to what we wanted to write about in the first place which was this character.”
Karyo agreed that no one was quite ready to say goodbye to Julien Baptiste, yet. “The [Williams] brothers said that Julien still had a lot of skeletons in his closet and a lot of things left to be fixed,” he explained. “It is exciting and I am happy to get into Julien’s new shoes… Julien is still here and full of joy and happy to be alive. He is still stubborn and is always in search of some kind of truth about human nature, if there is one.”
- 3.
The All-Star Lineup: Meet the Cast
From MASTERPIECE fan favorites like Downton Abbey and Home Fires, to PBS hits like Call the Midwife and The Bletchley Circle, learn more about where you’ve seen the stars of Baptiste before.
Tchéky Karyo as Julien Baptiste
Retired French detective Julien Baptiste returns in the all-new series. Fans will also remember Karyo from his roles in The Patriot, Taking Lives and GoldenEye.
Tom Hollander as Edward Stratton
Englishman Edward Stratton is desperately searching for his missing niece in Amsterdam. Hollander has previously starred in The Night Manager and appeared in films such as Pride and Prejudice, Gosford Park, and About Time.
Anastasia Hille as Celia Baptiste
Julien’s kind and supportive wife, Celia Baptiste, returns alongside her husband in this series. Hille’s work has also included Snow White and the Huntsman, The Hole and The Bletchley Circle.
Jessica Raine as Genevieve
Genevieve is a British liaison officer working for Europol with a past that haunts her. MASTERPIECE fans may remember Raine as Jane Rochford in Wolf Hall. She has also appeared in series such as Call the Midwife and in Patrick Melrose, alongside Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch.
Barbara Sarafian as Martha Horchner
Martha Horchner is an old friend (and old flame) of Julien’s, who works for the Amsterdam police force. Prior to Baptiste, Sarafian was known for her work in Moscow, Belgium and Clan.
Boris Van Severen as Niels Horchner
Niels Horchner is Martha’s son who is recovering from cancer, and who works alongside his mother in the police department.
Alec Secareanu as Constanin
Constanin is a dangerous thug with lethal connections who is also on the hunt for Natalie Rose. Secareanu is perhaps best known for his role in God’s Own Country alongside The Durrells in Corfu star Josh O’Connor.
Anna Próchniak as Natalie Rose
Polish actress Anna Próchniak plays Natalie Rose, the missing sex worker who Baptiste and Edward Stratton (and others) are searching the streets of Amsterdam for. Prochniak previously starred alongside World on Fire star Zofia Wichlacz in the film Warsaw ’44.
Clare Calbraith as Clare
Clare is Edward Stratton’s ex-wife, who is forever bound to Edward by shared tragedy. MASTERPIECE fans may remember Calbraith as housemaid Jane Moorsum in Downton Abbey (who had an illicit affair with one member of the Crawley family), or as Steph Farrow in Home Fires.
- 4.
Baptiste Joins MASTERPIECE Mystery!'s Stellar Lineup
If you’re a fan of tightly plotted crime series like Unforgotten, Inspector Lewis and Endeavour, then this is the series for you. Baptiste is a gripping procedural with a plot that will constantly keep you guessing, and will keep you on your toes from start to finish.
- 5.
Amsterdam: The Intriguing Center of the Action
Felt like you’ve walked every inch of Oxford with Endeavour, peeked into every cozy corner of rural Grantchester? There is a new and unforgettable locale for MASTERPIECE Mystery! fans to enjoy in Baptiste: Amsterdam.
Harry Williams knew they needed to pick the perfect location to match the unique story. “The narrative is full of twists, turns and surprises, much like Amsterdam itself,” he explained. “It’s an intriguing setting for the series to take place – it’s unusual, complex and layered.”
“We decided to set it in Amsterdam, as we knew that the location would perfectly reflect what the series is about: which is the question of what’s behind the curtain, what’s under the surface,” said brother Jack. “How something looks is deceiving. What’s great about the show is that the way the case begins is nothing like where we end up.
Filming locations included the beautiful houses, streets and canals of scenic Amsterdam, as well as the famed red light district.
- 6.
The Action Starts April 12: On Air and Online
Baptiste premieres on MASTERPIECE Mystery! on Sunday, April 12 at 10/9c, with new episodes running through Sunday, May 17. Watch on-air, online, or with the PBS Video app.
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Watch the Teaser
