UKTV has commissioned a new six-part detective drama series, Bookish, created by and starring Emmy Award-winning writer Mark Gatiss. The series will air on UKTV’s specialist crime drama channel Alibi in 2025.
Gatiss, known for his work on Sherlock and Doctor Who, will play the “erudite and unconventional” Gabriel Book, a self-appointed consultant detective who helps the police solve a variety of mysterious crimes from his antiquarian bookshop. The series is set in London in 1946 and will feature three main cases, with each storyline spanning two episodes.
Joining Gatiss in the cast is Polly Walker (Bridgerton, Line of Duty) as Book’s wife, Trottie. They are in a ‘lavender’ marriage, which helps conceal Book’s sexual orientation in a time when it was illegal to be gay. Other cast members include Joely Richardson (The Gentleman, The Ballad of Renegade Nell), Daniel Mays (The Long Shadow, Code 404) and Jonas Nay (Deutschland 83, Concordia).
Gatiss expressed his excitement about the project, saying: “To misquote Goodfellas: ‘All my life I’ve wanted to be a detective!’ I couldn’t be more excited to be bringing this series to the screen, and to plunge viewers into our intoxicating version of post-War London. It’s an under-examined time and an under-examined world and Bookish is the strange, funny and thrilling show that I’ve always wanted to make.”
Helen Perry, Head of Drama for UKTV, said: “UKTV is the home for writers’ passion projects, and we are so proud to be working with the exceptionally talented Mark Gatiss on his, along with the effervescent team at Eagle Eye. Mark’s unique detective thriller is full of wit and heart, with a central platonic love story that is sure to enthral audiences. And because Book is a gay man, at a time when it was illegal to be so, we are proud that the drama shines a light on an important LGBTQ+ story. The star-studded cast Eagle Eye have already put together is tribute to the sure-fire hit Bookish is to become.”
Bookish is produced by Eagle Eye Drama, with international distribution rights held by Germany’s Beta Film. The series is a collaboration with Belgium-based Happy Duck Films and is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter. It is co-written by Matthew Sweet and will be directed by Carolina Giammetta, with Christopher Arcache serving as producer.
