Saffron Cherry to develop Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective books for TV

Caroline Roberts-Cherry (left) and Sally Lindsay

SERIES MANIA: Saffron Cherry, the Manchester-based prodco set up by Caroline Roberts-Cherry and Sally Lindsay, has secured the TV rights to Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective books.

The books follow former Metropolitan Police detective Samson O’Brien as he returns to his hometown of Bruncliffe, in the Yorkshire Dales, to set up a detective agency. Once there, he joins forces with the owner of the Dales Dating Agency to solve a series of local crimes.

The first seven titles in the series have sold in excess of 200,000 copies throughout the world in the English language and have also been translated into French, German, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish and Estonian. The eighth novel, Date with Evil, will be published by Pan Macmillan in April.

Last year the series was also made into a ratings-winning primetime TV show in France, where the books regularly hit the bestseller charts.

The Dales Detective series will be developed by Roberts-Cherry and Saffron Cherry head of scripted Jane Langford (Hollyoaks, Metastasis). Lindsay, Saffron Cherry’s creative director, will also serve as executive producer. The adaptation is being written by Stewart Harcourt (Agatha Raisin, Poirot, Maigret).

Lindsay said: “We are thrilled that Julia has trusted us with her novels and are excited by the adaptation of A Date with Death that Stuart Harcourt has delivered.”

To date, Saffron Cherry has created and produced The Madame Blanc Mysteries for Channel 5 and Acorn TV (a coproduction with Clapperboard), The World According to Grandpa for Channel 5’s Milkshake! and The Wonton Warrior for CBBC.