Free@Last TV to bring David Nolan’s Manc noir novels to screen

Agatha Raisin prodco Free@Last TV is adapting author David Nolan’s gritty crime fiction Manc Noir novels for the small screen.

Barry Ryan

The trilogy of books, set in and around the UK city of Manchester, begin with the story of a historic crime that has haunted a shamed television presenter for decades and his return to solve the mystery years later.

Each of the books will be developed as three-part season to provide a returnable brand, Free@Last TV said. The first instalment, Black Moss, was published by Fahrenheit Press in 2018.

Barry Ryan, joint creative director at Free@Last TV, said: “David’s novels are a unique blend of crime, culture, and character, and we are committed to staying true to the authenticity and intensity that make his work so compelling.”

The adaptation will be written by screenwriter Stuart Wright, who brought the books to Free@Last TV. Wright is known for his work on Lair, Samuel’s Travels and the Fallen segment of the UK portmanteau Psychomanteum.

Launched by Ryan and David Walton in 2001, Free@Last TV is best known for turning the MC Beaton novels Agatha Raisin into the comedy drama series starring Ashley Jensen and Mathew Horne.