Gatiss will star as an “erudite and unconventional” detective in the upcoming six-parter, which has just begun production in Belgium.
UKTV has announced several new cast members for Mark Gatiss’s upcoming Alibi drama Bookish – with Call the Midwife’s Ella Bruccoleri and Poldark’s Luke Norris among those joining the ensemble for the six-part period crime series.
Other actors confirmed for roles include The Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison, The Power of Parker’s Rosie Cavaliero, and The Great’s Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, while there are also parts for Tom Forbes (Champion), Amanda Drew (The Gold), and Michael Workéyè (This is Going to Hurt).
Gatiss himself will lead the series as the “erudite and unconventional” detective Gabriel Book, while previously announced cast members also include Polly Walker (Bridgerton), Joely Richardson (The Gentleman), Daniel Mays (The Long Shadow), Jonas Nay (Deutschland 83), Connor Finch (Everything I Know About Love), Elliot Levey (We Were the Lucky Ones) and Buket Kömür (Our House).
The series will follow Gabriel as he helps the police solve three different mysterious crimes from his antiquarian bookshop, with each case spanning two episodes.
An synopsis provided by UKTV reads: London, 1946 is the dynamic, dangerous and chaotic setting for this stylish new detective drama, with the eccentric Gabriel Book at the very heart of the story: a self-appointed consultant detective to the local police. The thousands of books that line the shelves of his shop provide him with all the knowledge he needs.”
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It continues: “Book has gathered around him a host of lovable, damaged misfits whom he informally protects, cajoles, and mentors. His wife Trottie (Polly Walker) runs the wallpaper shop next door.
“She’s a charismatic adventuress whom Book loves deeply but not physically, for they are in a ‘lavender’ marriage to help conceal Book’s sexual orientation in a time when it was illegal to be gay.”
The series is further described as a “fast-paced and stylish detective drama” which “marries post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life-affirming atmosphere of the times”.
Filming for the drama is now underway in Belgium, which was co-written by Gatiss and Matthew Sweet and will be directed by Carolina Giammetta (Suspect) and produced by Christopher Arcache (Hotel Portofino).