The Marlow Murder Club TV Adaptation is Coming to MASTERPIECE
(June 5, 2023) MASTERPIECE and UKTV announce the co-commissioning of the TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s novel The Marlow Murder Club. From the creator of global hit Death in Paradise, and the producers of award-winning show Ghosts, the series will star Samantha Bond who is joined by Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew. Airing in four parts on MASTERPIECE in the US, the series is a UKTV co-production with MASTERPIECE on PBS, produced by Monumental Television in association with ITV Studios.
Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey, Home Fires) takes the lead as Judith Potts, alongside Jo Martin (Doctor Who, Back to Life) as Suzie Harris, Cara Horgan (The Sandman, Traitors) as Becks Starling and Natalie Dew (Sandylands, The Capture) as DS Tanika Malik. Steve Barron (The Durrells in Corfu, Mrs Sidhu Investigates) is set to direct. Robert Thorogood said: “After over a decade of working on Death in Paradise, I’m thrilled to be creating a brand-new murder mystery series for TV. I can’t wait for audiences to join Judith, Becks and Suzie on their adventures as they solve a series of fiendishly puzzling murders.”
Susanne Simpson, MASTERPIECE executive producer, added: “The Marlow Murder Club is exactly the kind of show that our MASTERPIECE Mystery!
viewers will love. We’re thrilled to be working with Samantha Bond again and to partner with Monumental Television on this exciting new series.”
MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by GBH Boston. Debra Hayward, Monumental co-founder, said: “We instantly fell in love with Robert’s book, and we’re delighted that he is bringing it to the screen with us. Combined with Steve Barron’s brilliant directing and our superb cast led by Samantha Bond, we hope that audiences will be as captivated by Robert’s Marlow as we are.”
Retired archaeologist Judith Potts (Bond) lives alone in a faded mansion in the peaceful town of Marlow, filling her time by setting crosswords for the local paper. During one of her regular wild swims in the Thames, Judith hears a gunshot coming from a neighbor’s garden and believes a brutal murder has taken place.
When the police are reluctant to believe her story, Judith finds herself forming an unlikely friendship with local dog-walker and empty-nester Suzie (Martin) and unfulfilled vicar’s wife Becks (Horgan) as they start an investigation of their own. Eventually asked to assist with the official police investigation, headed by newly promoted Tanika (Dew), the women must piece together clues, grill suspect witnesses, and face down real danger as they work against the clock to stop the killer in their tracks.
Philippa Collie Cousins, senior commissioning editor for UKTV, said: “After a highly rewarding period of collaboration we are thrilled to be greenlighting Robert Thorogood’s adaptation of his hit novel for Drama. The brilliant team at Monumental have found the perfect cast for the show and the perfect director in Steve Barron. I’m very much looking forward to seeing these great scripts burst into life on screen.”
Emma Ayech, channel director for Drama, added: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for Drama, as we start commissioning UKTV Originals for the channel. Whether you’re a fan of the book or new to the adventures of the wonderful Judith Potts, our viewers are in for a real treat.”
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