London Kills: Acorn TV Makes First Straight-to-Series Order

Acorn TV is branching out. Deadline reports the streaming service has ordered a new TV show called London Kills.

From Paul Marquess, the crime drama tells “the story of a team of top murder detectives and will be shot like a documentary. Each episode will feature a different murder in addition to a serialized story involving the lead detective’s missing wife.”

Acorn TV has ordered five episodes of London Kills, which is slated to premiere next winter.

Read more info below:

Silver Spring, MD; March 23, 2018 – Acorn TV and Acorn Media Enterprises announce their second series commission and first straight-to-series program with British drama series LONDON KILLS. Acorn Media Enterprises (AME), the UK-based development division for the Acorn brand of RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE), has partnered with PGMTV to co-produce the new series along with Acorn Media International distributing in all English-speaking territories and international distributor ZDF Enterprises distributing in the rest of the world. Created for television and co-written by Paul Marquess (Suspects, Footballers’ Wives), LONDON KILLS is currently casting and will go into production in May with a winter 2018 North American premiere for Series 1. The companies will produce two series back-to-back comprised of five by one-hour episodes. The deal was negotiated with Acorn Media Enterprises Shane Murphy, PGMTV’s Paul Marquess, and ZDF Enterprises’ VP ZDFE.drama Robert Franke.

With the world’s most recognizable city as its backdrop, LONDON KILLS will dramatize the experiences of a team of top murder detectives. Slick, modern and fast moving, the series will be shot like a cutting-edge documentary. Each episode of LONDON KILLS will focus on a different murder following the detectives as they uncover the truth behind the killing but will also have a serial story involving the lead detective’s missing wife.

Shane Murphy, Managing Director, Acorn Media Enterprises, said, “After announcing our first commission with Agatha Raisin, Series 2, Acorn Media Enterprises and Acorn TV are thrilled to not only commission another high-quality production but make LONDON KILLS our first straight-to-series commission and produce two seasons back-to-back. With its compelling, fast-paced scripts and the creativity of Paul Marquess, LONDON KILLS will make an excellent addition to Acorn TV’s rapidly growing Originals slate.”

Paul Marquess, Managing Director, PGMTV, said “I’m delighted to be making LONDON KILLS for Acorn. I’m convinced that London is the perfect backdrop for a contemporary police series. Shane Murphy loved the idea from the first pitch – and he and his team have been brilliantly supportive throughout the process. With acutely drawn regular characters and a variety of compelling murder investigations – as well as an intriguing serial narrative running right through it – LONDON KILLS is shaping up to be a sharp, smart, timely procedural drama. We can’t wait to start shooting.”

Creator Paul Marquess co-created and executive produced critically-acclaimed improvised crime series Suspects which ran for five seasons and 23 episodes on Channel 5 and Acorn TV. Called a ‘Brilliant original drama… totally gripping” (The Times) and a ‘realistic police procedural… (that) out-Law & Order’s its predecessor” (The New York Times), Suspects has been remade in both Germany and The Netherlands. Marquess also created Footballers’ Wives and Murder Investigation Team; series produced Brookside and Hollyoaks; and was Executive Producer of The Bill for four hugely successful years.

What do you think? Are you a fan of crime dramas? Will you watch London Kills?