FOX UK has firmed up the launch plans for their new import Murder In The First.
The channel will pair the Steven Bochco created series, which was acquired earlier today in a deal with Warner Bros International Television Distribution, with perennial hit NCIS on Friday nights on their 2015 schedule, TVWise can reveal.
The ten episode first season of Murder In The First, starring Taye Diggs (The Good Wife), Kathleen Robertson (Boss) and Tom Felton (Harry Potter), will air in the Friday night 10pm time-slot from January 16th, leading out of NCIS – which kicks off its twelfth season in the 9pm slot a week earlier on January 9th.
Murder in the First is set in San Francisco and follows homicide detectives Terry English (Taye Diggs) and Hildy Mulligan (Kathleen Robertson) as they investigate the murder of an apparent drug addict. The mystery deepens, however, when the victim is found to have a connection to Silicon Valley wunderkind Erich Blunt (Tom Felton), the celebrated CEO of a cutting-edge tech firm. Mimi Kirkland, Raphael Sbarge, Ian Anthony Dale, Bess Rous, Steven Weber and Richard Schiff also star.
With the creation of the Friday night block, which has NCIS as the anchor, FOX UK execs are doing all they can to ensure that Murder In The First – which has already been renewed for a second season – will be a hit with UK viewers. After all, the Mark Harmon fronted procedural is the channel’s second highest rated series, with episodes frequently drawing in a consolidated audience of more than one million viewers.
“Murder in the First is a compelling single-case drama, with striking performances and a plot that will keep you guessing ‘whodunit’ until the very end”, said Toby Etheridge, Head of Programming & Scheduling for Fox International Channels UK. “A perfect companion to NCIS, viewers can enjoy their fill of intriguing mysteries and murder, Friday nights on FOX.”
