The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Cry producer, Synchronicity Films, has optioned the rights to Sir Alexander McCall Smith’s Isabel Dalhousie novels with screenwriter Andrea Gibb (Miss Austen, Mayflies, Elizabeth is Missing) attached to adapt the novels for television and All3Media International are on board to distribute.
Set to be a returnable, entertaining crime series, Dalhousie follows the lead character with “wilful determination and stubborn independence”, Isabel Dalhousie. She is neither a detective nor a police officer, but a philosopher and the editor of the Journal of Applied Ethics. “However, it is Isabel’s profound curiosity and strong sense of morality that see her drawn into mysteries that should, quite frankly, be none of her business!”
Set in Edinburgh, the ‘story of the week’ format will see Isabel drawn into new mysteries across each series, with a new philosophical quandary to be answered, “and a tumultuous personal life providing a wealth of stories alongside each crime.”
Screenwriter, Andrea Gibb said: “I am thrilled to be adapting the adventures of Alexander McCall Smith’s delightful amateur sleuth, Isabel Dalhousie, for television. She is a fascinating character with a tenacious curiosity driven by a strong moral code and a faith in philosophical thinking, making this series incredibly appealing to dramatise.”
Author, Sir Alexander McCall Smith said: “I am delighted that Synchronicity is keen to translate the Isabel Dalhousie books to the screen. Isabel enjoys a very wide following in many parts of the world, and the idea of a highly-regarded Scottish film company engaging with her story is very attractive to me.”
Executive Producer and Synchronicity Films Founder, Claire Mundell said: “We love adapting popular novels for screen at Synchronicity, and I’m especially excited to be in advanced development on this well-loved series from Alexander McCall Smith – the Isabel Dalhousie novels. Dalhousie will appeal to viewers around the world who love an iconic female character such as Isabel and an entertaining, characterful, warm-hearted soft crime mystery series, all played out in the visually delicious world of Edinburgh.
VP Scripted Content for All3Media International, Lauren Jackson said: “With a track record for beautifully made, richly told literary adaptations, we are excited to partner with the brilliant team at Synchronicity on their next project adapting Alexander McCall Smith’s Dalhousie detective series. Isabel Dalhousie is one of fiction’s most richly developed female detectives and with award-winning writer Andrea Gibb set to bring this iconic sleuth to the screen we hope to welcome her to our preeminent detective slate.”
Dalhousie is in development as a 6×60 series, produced by Synchronicity Films (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Mayflies, The Tattooist’s Son: Journey to Auschwitz, The Cry) and distributed by All3Media International. Claire Mundell (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Mayflies, The Tattooist’s Son: Journey to Auschwitz, The Cry), Creative Director and Founder of Synchronicity Films and Deanne Cunningham, Head of Development (Endeavour, Cold Feet) will executive produce for Synchronicity Films, alongside Andrea Gibb (Miss Austen, Mayflies, Elizabeth is Missing) who will adapt the script from Sir Alexander McCall Smith’s novels. Both McCall Smith and Gibb will also serve as Executive Producers. The Isabel Dalhousie series currently consists of fifteen novels, the most recent addition is The Conditions of Unconditional Love.
Jon Creamer
Share this story
