Dougray Scott, Chris Philip attached to new detective drama Austin Grant

Dougray Scott (left) is to star in Austin Grant from Chris Philip (right)

MIPCOM: Dougray Scott is to star in Austin Grant, a new detective drama written by Scott Shepherd and Daniel Pyne, with exec producer Chris Philip unveiling the show on the eve of the Mipcom sales market here in Cannes.

Pyne, whose credits include the Prime Video drama Bosch, will also co-showrun Austin Grant. Shepherd’s credits include The Equalizer, Miami Vice and Quantum Leap. Austin Grant is being developed by Ambitious Entertainment.

Scott, an International Emmy and Bafta Scotland winner whose credits include Mission: Impossible II and Ever After, plays the title role and is an executive producer. He is joined by Chukwudi Iwuji (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Peacemaker), Jake Weber (Medium, Homeland) and Ellie Patrikios (Snowfall).

Mike Ellen, formerly a development executive in BBC Drama whose credits there include Peaky Blinders, Wallander and Shetland, will handle UK production through Freedom Scripted, alongside production executive Fiona Tuohy. Freedom Scripted’s drama Summerwater starred Scott. Jeff Downer, whose credits include Hawaii Five-0, MacGyver and True Lies, will handle North American production.

David Ellender

David Ellender, formerly CEO of Fremantle Media Enterprises, Sonar Entertainment and Halcyon Studios, and Peter Andrews, formerly head of network programming at SBS Australia, complete the sales and production team.

The first season is based on Shepherd’s novel The Last Commandment. His second Austin Grant novel, Should I Fall, would form the basis of a potential second season, and Shepherd has begun writing a third book in the series.

The series follows a veteran Scotland Yard commander, weeks from retirement, who is drawn into the hunt for a killer marking his victims according to the Ten Commandments. After his brother, an Oxford theologian, provides key insights into the case, Grant follows the investigation to North America, where he is paired with an American homicide detective. He then discovers that his estranged daughter is an investigative journalist pursuing the same murders.

Scott said he wanted to join the project early because of his history with Philip and Shepherd. “Working with Chris and Scott again was an immediate attraction, and I wanted to come aboard Austin Grant early, as the title character and an executive producer,” he said.

The project extends a two-decade collaboration between Scott and Philip, whose titles together include Peacock’s Departure, The CW’s Sherlock & Daughter, the Australian coproduction The Diplomat and BBC’s The Day of the Triffids.

Philip pointed to the genre’s international reach. “The mystery and detective genres have massive global appeal, and with Ambitious’ influencer marketing strategy, we will build awareness for our network partners well before launch,” he said.

Shepherd said the novels were written with television in mind. “Each novel was designed to be adapted for television, and Dan Pyne is the perfect creative partner to help bring that world to life,” he said.