Munich, 24 June 2025. Beta has closed a row of deals and dropped the official international trailer of the colorful and quirky crime drama Bookish created by and starring Emmy Award winner Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Doctor Who). Ahead of its world premiere at the new Italian Global Series Festival, Beta sold the UKTV / Eagle Eye period drama to Max in Australia, the Scandinavian public broadcasters DR for Denmark, SVT for Sweden, YLE for Finland, as well as to Spain’s Filmin, AXN WHITE for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and LTV for Latvia. Earlier this year, Beta already announced sales to Latin America and Brazil, Benelux, and Turkey, among others.

Bookish will celebrate its world premiere in the international drama competition at the newly established Italian Global Series Festival in Riccione and Rimini on June 24 in attendance of creator/writer/actor Mark Gatiss and co-star Polly Walker (Bridgerton). In addition, Mark Gatiss will hold a special masterclass on the same day, giving an insight into his brilliant way of storytelling.

The stylish and colorful period detective drama was recently greenlit for a second season. Produced by Eagle Eye Drama, filming of six new episodes will begin this summer. In the UK, season one will air on July 16 on UKTV’s specialist crime drama channel U&alibi.

Blending in post-war nostalgia and a thoroughly modern sensibility and tone, Bookish centers on the witty, extraordinary, and whip-smart bookshop owner Gabriel Book (Mark Gatiss) who is helping the police to solve the most uncrackable crimes. But he has a secret himself – as a gay man in the 1940s, he lives in a mutually agreed ‘lavender marriage’ with his childhood friend Trottie (Polly Walker). After having lost the love of his life in the war, Book’s past suddenly seems to catch up with him and poses a riddle that seems unsolvable, even for him.

Executive producers for Eagle Eye Drama are Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino.

Bookish is directed by Carolina Giammetta and produced by Eagle Eye Drama for UKTV’s channel U&alibi in association with Happy Duck Films and supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter. Beta Film holds worldwide distribution rights, while PBS Distribution holds the North American rights to season one.