World sales company Global Screen has released the first-look image of Recipes for Love and Murder, which has been chosen for Berlinale Series Market Selects lineup at the European Film Market, Variety reports.
According to the report, Acorn has the rights to the series for the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
The 10-part South African and UK English-language co-production stars Maria Doyle Kennedy, whose credits include Outlander and The Tudors.
Recipes for Love and Murder, described by Global Screen as “a charming, quirky murder mystery series,” is based on the novel by best-selling South African author Sally Andrew, Recipes for Love and Murder: A Tannie Maria Mystery. The novel has been published in numerous countries including the UK, South Africa, the US, Canada, China, Australia, France and Germany.
Filmed in South Africa and Scotland, the series centres on Maria Purvis (Kennedy), an empathetic, accomplished recipe advice columnist for a small-town gazette, who investigates the murder of one of her correspondents. The show will premiere in South Africa on M-Net this March.
Recipes for Love and Murder is a co-production between M-Net, AMC Networks’ Acorn TV and Both Worlds Pictures, in co-operation with Global Screen.
Thierry Cassuto (Puppet Nation, Rainbow Warrior), founder of International Emmy-nominated Cape Town-based Both Worlds Pictures, is producing the series in collaboration with Scotland’s Pirate Productions, with development support provided by Creative Scotland, and Paris-based Paradoxal.
The show was adapted for TV by Karen Jeynes (Puppet Nation, Point of Order), who is also executive producer, along with Scotland-based writer/director Annie Griffin (Avenue 5). The series is directed by Christiaan Olwagen (Kanarie, Poppie Nongena) and Karen Jeynes. As well as Doyle Kennedy, the cast includes Tony Kgoroge (Invictus, Blood Diamond) and newcomer Kylie Fisher.
In the show, Martine, a woman who has written to Maria about her abusive husband, is found dead. Maria joins forces with her local, risk-taking, rookie journalist colleague, Jessie September (Fisher), to solve the murder and catch the killer – before the local police find more victims. Variety
