Mark Gatiss

Bookish – Daniel Mays Joins Mark Gatiss Series

It’s been a busy and exciting week for Daniel Mays including the announcement that he has joined the cast of the upcoming Mark Gatiss series Bookish for UKTV’s Alibi channel. Filming commences soon in Belgium.

UKTV’s catalogue of original drama continues to grow, with the commission of six-part series, Bookish (6×70′) for its specialist crime drama channel Alibi. The UKTV original series has been created by Emmy Award-winning writer Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock) and is produced by Eagle Eye Drama. As international partner, Beta Film will handle the world sales.

Mark Gatiss writes and stars as the erudite and unconventional Gabriel Book who, from his antiquarian bookshop, helps the police to solve a variety of mysterious crimes. With three main cases in the series, each storyline spans two-episode instalments. The series will air on Alibi in 2025.

Mark Gatiss said 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.

Starring alongside Mark Gatiss will be Polly Walker (Bridgerton, Line of Duty) who plays Book’s colourful wife Trottie. Bookish will also feature a wealth of guest stars, including Joely Richardson (The Gentleman, The Ballad of Renegade Nell), Daniel Mays (The Long Shadow, Code 404) and Jonas Nay (Deutschland 83, Concordia). Other returning core cast members include Connor Finch (Everything I Know About Love) as Jack, Olivier award-winner Elliot Levey (We Were the Lucky ones, Quiz) as Inspector Bliss and Buket Kömür (Our House) as Nora.

London, 1946 is the dynamic, dangerous and chaotic setting for this stylish new detective drama, with the eccentric Gabriel Book (Gatiss) 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.

Book has gathered around him a host of lovable, damaged misfits whom he informally protects, cajoles, and mentors. His wife Trottie (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.

Bookish marries post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life-affirming atmosphere of the times, creating a fast-paced and stylish detective drama.

The UKTV Original series has been commissioned by Helen Perry, head of drama for UKTV, and ordered by Emma Ayech, channel director for Alibi, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. 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).

Helen Perry 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.”

Emma Ayech added: “The story and setting of this brand-new drama is perfect for the Alibi audience and I’m excited to see how the wonderful cast and crew bring it to life on screen. We have a wealth of UKTV original dramas coming down the track and I’m thrilled we’re adding this fantastic addition into the mix.”

Jo McGrath, chief creative officer for Eagle Eye Drama said: “There are some characters, some ideas that just leap off the page and demand to be realised. Book, Trottie and the clever crimes Mark Gatiss has woven around the precinct of Archangel Lane is one of those projects. The answer to every crime can be found in a book and in Bookish, Mark Gatiss has created a unique, memorable and stand out new detective series.”

Oliver Bachert, chief distribution officer, Beta Film commented: “With Bookish, we are thrilled to unveil a truly unique and compelling series that blends a classic detective story with the rich tapestry of post-war London, brought to life by the brilliant Mark Gatiss. With its mix of mystery, history, and heartfelt drama, it is another milestone in our successful partnership with Eagle Eye Drama. Bookish is sure to become a great example of a sophisticated crime drama and instant classic for audiences around the world. We’re proud to bring this exciting series to the global stage.”

The series is being produced in association with Happy Duck Films and is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter.

Check back for more updates on this exciting new series!

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Inside No. 9

We are so excited that Daniel Mays has been announced as one of the Inside No. 9 guest stars for series 7, set to premiere in 2022!

Produced by BBC Studios Comedy Productions and broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, the new series of Inside No. 9 will feature six stand-alone stories, once again inviting viewers into Shearsmith and Pemberton’s world of the extraordinary and macabre.

Headlining series seven are Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, Good Omens), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter, The OA), Sophie Okonedo (The Escape Artist, Britannia), Jessica Hynes (There She Goes, W1A), Diane Morgan (Mandy, Motherland), Daisy Haggard (Back To Life, Breeders), Annette Badland (EastEnders, Doctor Who), Siobhan Redmond (The Replacement, Unforgotten) and Ron Cook (Hot Fuzz, The Salisbury Poisonings).

Also set to feature in the upcoming series is Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s fellow co-creator, writer and star from The League of Gentlemen, Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Dracula).

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton say: “We hope you’ll join us and another incredible cast of actors for more surprises that will make your jaws drop and spines tingle. Heads might even roll, and if not heads, definitely eyes.“

Gregor Sharp, Commissioning Editor at the BBC, says: “Inside No. 9 is a crown jewel of comedy and we can’t wait to see what twisted gems Reece and Steve have in store for us in the new series.”

Josh Cole, Head of Comedy, BBC Studios Production, says: “It’s a joy to be back in the Inside No. 9 saddle. Reece and Steve are comic masters, and their new scripts are better than ever. Which really is saying something when the last bunch won Best Comedy at the BAFTAs!”

Since its launch in 2014, Inside No. 9 has received widespread critical acclaim and has won an enviable étagère of awards, including the comedy prize at the 2016 Rose d’Or, two RTS Awards and two BAFTA TV Craft Awards (including Comedy Writing), South Bank Show and Writers’ Guild awards. In addition to this, Steve Pemberton won the Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme at the 2019 BAFTA TV Awards and the series won Best Scripted Comedy at the 2021 BAFTA TV Awards.

All previous episodes of Inside No. 9 are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer and series seven will premiere on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in 2022.

Inside No. 9 is a BBC Studios Comedy Production created and written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. The Executive Producers are Josh Cole (Good Omens, Sally4Ever, Crashing) and Adam Tandy (The Thick Of It, Detectorists). The Producer is Kim Crowther (Midsomer Murders, The Worst Witch). The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Gregor Sharp.

Check out the news from Elliot Gonzalez over at I Talk Telly

We will have more on this exciting project for Danny in the near future!

Follow Daniel Mays on Twitter @DanielMays9 and
Instagram: @danielmays9

©DanielMays.co.uk

Against the Law – Tonight 9PM on BBC 2

Against the Law starring Daniel Mays has it’s television debut this evening at 9PM on BBC Two.

2017 sees the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised homosexual acts in England and Wales between adult males, in private. While it would take several decades before homosexuals would reach anything like full equality in this country, this legislation marks the beginning of this journey.

But the dramatic events that led to this Act took place over ten years before and are at the heart of this powerful factual drama, starring Daniel Mays and Mark Gatiss. Mays plays Peter Wildeblood, a thoughtful and private gay journalist whose lover, under pressure from the authorities, turned Queen’s evidence against him in one of the most explosive court cases of the 1950s – the infamous Montagu Trial. Wildeblood and his friends Lord Montagu and Michael Pitt-Rivers were found guilty of homosexual offences and jailed. But the public thought the trial unfair and forced a reluctant government to set up a committee to investigate whether homosexuality should be legalized. The committee was led by Sir John Wolfenden. With his career in tatters and his private life painfully exposed, Peter Wildeblood began his sentence a broken man, but he emerged from Wormwood Scrubs a year later determined to do all he could to change the way these draconian laws against homosexuality impacted on the lives of men like him. He was the only openly gay man to testify before the Wolfenden Committee about the brutal reality of being gay in this country at that time. In 1957, the committee recommended that the laws be changed. It would take a further ten years before these recommendations would become law.

Woven through this powerful drama is testimony from a chorus of men who lived through those dark days, when homosexuals were routinely imprisoned or forced to undergo chemical aversion therapy in an attempt to curethem of their ‘condition’. There is also testimony from a retired police officer whose job it was to enforce these laws, and a former psychiatric nurse who administered the so-called cures. All these accounts amplify the themes of the drama and help to immerse us in the reality of a dark chapter in our recent past, a past still within the reach of living memory.

We hope that you tune in this evening to watch this incredibly important factual-drama.
Against the Law – BBC Two 9PM 26 July 2017.

Follow Daniel Mays on Twitter @DanielMays9

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BFI Flare: Against The Law World Premiere 16 March 2017

Updated 27 February 2017:  Tickets for both screenings of Against the Law on 16 March 2107 are currently SOLD OUT.  There is a possibility that tickets will be available on the day of the event.

BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival has today announced their exciting 2017 program line up for their 31st edition!

Against the Law starring Daniel Mays and Mark Gatiss has it’s gala world premiere with two screenings on Thursday 16 March 2017 at 18:15 and 20:45 at BFI.

BFI Member on-sale tickets: depending on membership level begins Monday 20 February through Wednesday 22 February 2017

Public on-sale tickets: Monday 27  February 2017 at 11:30 am

Against the Law is a timely and sensitive biopic based on Peter Wildeblood’s bestseller which tells the story of his affair with a handsome serviceman he met in Piccadilly and the devastating consequences of their relationship. Wildeblood had been a celebrated and well-connected journalist on the Daily Express, with a range of acquaintances that included Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. He is played by Daniel Mays, in a beautifully nuanced performance that charts his journey from Fleet Street via public vilification to his imprisonment under the same legislation that sent Oscar Wilde to Reading Gaol. Mark Gatiss gives a chilling performance as a prison doctor charged with administering therapeutic measures to homosexuals acquiescing to the idea that they can be ‘changed’.

The importance of Peter Wildeblood’s case (jointly brought against him, Lord Montagu and Michael Pitt-Rivers) is that it brought the debate about homosexuality into the public domain. It led the way to the creation of the Wolfenden Committee on sexual law reform that eventually resulted in the passing of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which changed the lives of thousands of gay men with its partial decriminalisation of homosexual acts. This film offers a profoundly moving portrait of what it meant to be gay in the 1950s, underlining the importance of understanding our recent history and the immense social and emotional burdens endured by generations of gay men.

More information on the festival and ticketing can be found at the BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival website.

Follow Daniel Mays on Twitter @DanielMays9

©DanielMays.co.uk