20th Television Developing “Detective Brunetti” Series
The creator of “Downton Abbey” and “The Gilded Age”, Julian Fellows is developing a brand new series for Disney’s 20th Television based on the popular “Detective Brunetti” book series.
The series will revolve around intelligent and capable police commissioner Guido Brunetti confronting crime in and around his home town of Venice. Donna Leon has written the Detective Brunetti book series, which currently includes 33 books, including “Death at La Fenice” and “Death in a Strange Country.” Donna will also be an executive producer on the show.
The official description for the adaptation uses the opening line of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina:
“Unhappy detectives are all alike; a happy detective struggles to stay happy in their own way. In fading Venice, far from the tourist crowds, detective Commissario Brunetti faces a daily battle to protect his city, and his family, from the harsh realities of murder, corruption, and of course the interference of his aristocratic in-laws.”
According to Deadline, Julian will be writing and executive producing the series. His other recent work includes “The Tourist”, “Gosfold Park” and a version of “Sherlock Holmes” from the 1980s.
Another executive producer on the show will be Ileen Maisel, who sadly died earlier this year at the age of 68 and was the person who helped set up the project with Julian.
Other executive producers on the show will include Gesine Lubben, PK Fellowes, and Lawrence Elman. Author Leon will co-executive produce, and Felix Legge will also serve as co-writer and producer.
No other details on this upcoming project have been revealed, such as when it might begin filming or when it will be released. It’s also not clear if it will be a straight-to-Hulu/Disney+ release or if it will also be given a linear release on ABC.
Roger’s Take: Adapting existing stories, especially those from an established book series, does make a lot of sense, especially since the books have already been adapted for the screen, as there is a German TV series which has already adapted 26 of the books. Should the show be set in Venice, it will provide a refreshing change of location from the typical crime drama.
What do you think of the idea of a series about “Detective Brunetti”? Let me know on social media!
