Alibi starts new chapter with Bookish
Bookish, UKTV-owned Alibi’s upcoming crime drama about a bookshop owner who helps the police solve crimes, has started filming on location in Belgium.
Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) writes the series and stars as the erudite and unconventional Gabriel Book who, from his antiquarian bookshop, helps the police to solve a variety of mysterious cases.
Set against the backdrop of 1946 London, Book is 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.
Book has gathered around him a host of lovable, damaged misfits whom he informally protects, cajoles, and mentors. His wife Trottie (Polly Walker, pictured with Gattiss) 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.
Returning stars include Blake Harrison, Connor Finch, Elliot Levey and Buket Kömür, while the series will feature guest stars such as Joely Richardson, Jonas Nay, Rosie Cavaliero, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Tom Forbes, Amanda Drew, Luke Norris, Ella Bruccoleri and Michael Morkéyè.
The six-part series, which includes three cases across two episodes each, is produced by Eagle Eye Drama. Distribution is handled by Beta Film.
Executive producers for Eagle Eye Drama are Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino. The series is co-written with Matthew Sweet and will be directed by Carolina Giammetta (Suspect S2, Hollington Drive) and produced by Christopher Arcache (Hotel Portofino).
The series is being produced in association with Happy Duck Films and is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter.
tagged in: Alibi, Beta Film, Bookish, Eagle Eye Drama, Mark Gatiss