Swedish screenwriter Hans Rosenfeldt, creator of the acclaimed Scandinavian series The Bridge, has been signed by ITV to write an original crime drama set on the streets of contemporary London.
The broadcaster describes Marcella as “Scandinavian noir on the streets of Britain” and says the eight-part drama will be told in “Rosenfeldt’s unflinchingly clear Nordic style, full of hooks and action.”
Returning to the Met’s Murder Squad after a 12-year career break, Marcella is a detective in her late 30’s who gave up her fast-tracked role to marry and devote her life to starting a family.
With the abrupt end to her marriage to the love of her life Jason and isolated from her daughter at boarding school, Marcella returns to work whilst attempting to make sense of what’s happened in her life.
By coincidence a spate of recent killings have occurred which bear the hallmarks of unsolved murders committed over a decade ago. Marcella is immediately assigned to the case she first worked on in 2003.
The killer was never detected and more bodies have been discovered with the same method of killing. Has the killer re-appeared or is a copycat murderer responsible for these recent deaths?
How will Marcella cope returning to duties when her own temperament is so fragile and vulnerable? Will throwing herself into her work provide the answers she’s seeking? Or lead her dangerously into territory she must evade at all cost?
“Hans has created a compelling central character driven by rejection and intuition who is at crisis point in her personal life,” said Steve November, ITV’s Director of Drama.
“The narrative is so unpredictable with suspicion falling on nearly all of the characters. We’re very much looking forward to the ITV audience’s reaction to Marcella.”