Sky1 has commissioned Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death, a feature-length crime drama that will air as a one-off over Christmas, with Ashley Jensen in the title role.
Based on the novels by M.C. Beaton, the drama follows Agatha Raisin, a successful London PR who sells up and moves to the quiet Cotswolds village of Carsely in search of a gentler life. When she enters the village’s annual quiche-making competition in a bid to fit in, a death leaves her a suspect, and she sets out to clear her name and solve the case herself.
Jensen, of Extras and Ugly Betty, takes the lead, describing Agatha as a strong, funny and flawed woman of her time. The script comes from Stewart Harcourt, who also executive produces, and the film is produced by Mammoth Screen and Free@Last TV, developed in association with Raydar Media.
Commissioned by Sky’s acting head of drama Cameron Roach, the feature continues Sky1’s tradition of original drama at Christmas, and is intended as a possible launchpad for a fuller series.