Acorn TV has joined forces with an experienced trio for a detective drama! The Cinemaholic can confirm that the network has ordered the television series ‘Art Detectives,’ penned by Dan Gaster, Will Ing, and Paul Powell. The filming of the show has started in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and will last until November. Emma Goodwin and Kitty Percy are also part of the writers’ room. Declan O’Dwyer and Jennie Paddon are on board to helm the episodes.
Stephen Moyer (‘True Blood,’ ‘Sexy Beast,’ and ‘The Double’) and Nina Singh (‘The Lazarus Project‘) headline the cast, which also includes Sarah Alexander (‘Coupling’) and Larry Lamb (‘Gavin & Stacey’).
The plot revolves around the art admirer DI Mick Palmer of the Heritage Crime Unit police department. Joined by DC Shazia Malik, they solve murders committed in the world of art and antiques. The artfully astute detectives encounter a fake Vermeer, Viking gold, a rare Chinese vase, and items rescued from the Titanic amid their investigations. Palmer navigates these cases while managing a budding romance with museum curator Rosa and dealing with the sudden reappearance of his charismatic father, Ron, one of the United Kingdom’s most notorious forgers.
Gaster, Ing, and Powell previously collaborated on Dave’s ‘Zapped,’ BBC’s ‘Insert Name Here,’ and CBBC’s upcoming show ‘Pickle Storm.’ Ing is known for his screenplays and story rewrites for projects such as ‘Unspun with Matt Forde,’ ‘Channel Hopping with Jon Richardson,’ and ‘Zapped.’ He began his writing journey in the 1990s television scene, providing comedy sketches for ‘The Full Monty’ and contributing to game and talk shows featuring Clive Anderson, Jack Docherty, and Graham Norton.
Powell, another veteran writer, wrote the sitcom ‘Life of Riley,’ several TV movies, and numerous ‘Doctor Who Live’ specials. Gaster is best known for his work on the fan-favorite sitcom ‘The Thick of It.’ He also worked on the long-running comedy news shows ‘Mock the Week’ and ‘Have I Got News for You,’ in addition to ‘The Graham Norton Show.’ Most recently, he was involved with ‘Outsiders’ and ‘The Last Leg.’
O’Dwyer most recently directed the first season of the Netflix series ‘Geek Girl.’ His credits also include ‘Flowers in the Attic: The Origin,’ ‘Vera,’ and ‘Miss Scarlet & the Duke.’ The filmmaker began his career with the sitcom ‘My Parents Are Aliens’ and has since directed big-budget period dramas such as ‘Merlin,’ ‘Atlantis,’ and ‘Robin Hood.’ His future endeavors include the shows ‘Rise of the Witches,’ ‘Mr Smith,’ and ‘Accidental Gangsters.’
The capital city of Northern Ireland, Belfast, is known for its rich history and varied landscapes. The many popular shows shot in the region include ‘Game of Thrones‘ and ‘Sons of Anarchy.’
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