Sky 1 HD announces start of production and further cast for new drama Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death

Hermione Norris, Robert Bathurst, Mathew Horne, Matt McCooey, Jason Barnett, Jamie Glover and Katy Wix to join lead Ashley Jensen

TX Christmas 2014 on Sky 1 HD and Sky 1

Sky 1 HD today (Friday 5th September 2014) announces the start of production on new drama AGATHA RAISIN AND THE QUICHE OF DEATH, starring Ashley Jensen as London PR turned village detective Agatha Raisin. This 1 x 120 contemporary and quirky drama began filming this week in the Cotswolds and Bristol.

Written by Stewart Harcourt, AGATHA RAISIN AND THE QUICHE OF DEATH is based on the highly successful novel series by M C Beaton, creator of Hamish Macbeth, and will be broadcast this Christmas on Sky 1 HD and Sky 1.

Further cast announced today includes Hermione Norris (The Crimson Field, Wire in the Blood, Cold Feet) as long-suffering village housewife and Amateur Dramatics devotee JO CUMMINGS BROWN, Robert Bathurst (Downton Abbey, Dracula, Cold Feet) as her errant husband ANDY CUMMINGS BROWN, Katy Wix (Not Going Out) as Agatha’s suffer-no-fools cleaning lady GEMMA SIMPSON, Mathew Horne (Gavin and Stacey) as ROY SILVER, Agatha’s faithful former assistant from London, Jamie Glover (Waterloo Road) as Agatha’s would be romantic interest JAMES, Jason Barnett as the hapless DI WILKES and Matt McCooey as lovelorn local policeman, DC BILL WONG.

Having sold up her successful PR firm in London, AGATHA RAISIN moves to start a new dream life in the Cotswolds, but soon finds it’s not quite the picture-perfect existence she imagined, and that the locals might not be quite ready for Agatha’s own brand of feisty straight talking. When she inadvertently becomes a suspect in a murder case, Agatha must enlist the few allies she can find to set about clearing her name and earn the respect of her fellow villagers by solving the mystery of the quiche of death.

AGATHA RAISIN AND THE QUICHE OF DEATH also stars Caroline Langrishe as Agatha’s next door neighbor and nemesis SHEILA CUMMINGS, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as the village vicar JEZ and Lucy Liemann as his wife SARAH. Carli Norris and John Lightbody star as husband and wife ELLA and JOHN CARTWRIGHT, Sandy McDale and Tim Stern as villagers GAIL and GENE, Richard Durden and Marcia Warren as MR AND MRS BOGGLE, Joseph Long as purveyor of quiche SPIROS EONOMIDES, Nichola McAuliffe as MARIA BORROW and John Mason as Roy’s Australian boyfriend STEVE.

Produced by Mammoth Screen (Endeavour, Parades End), and Free@Last TV (Martina Cole’s Lady Killers, Gina Las Vegas) and developed in association with Raydar Media, international distribution for AGATHA RAISIN AND THE QUICHE OF DEATH will be handled by Sky Vision.

The Executive Producers are Cameron Roach and Helen Gregory for Sky, Michele Buck and Karen Thrussell for Mammoth Screen and Barry Ryan and Kathleen Hutchison for Free@Last TV. The producer is Matthew Mulot and the director is Geoffrey Sax (The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Stormbreaker, Tipping the Velvet). Written and executive produced by Stewart Harcourt (Treasure Island, Poirot).

AGATHA RAISIN will air exclusively on Sky 1 HD this Christmas, Sky customers will be able to catch up On Demand and watch on the move with Sky Go.

This year Sky will invest £600 million a year in original British content and production across its portfolio of channels.  This commitment includes entertainment shows GOT TO DANCE, BAFTA award winning A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN and DUCK QUACKS DON’T ECHO; dramas such as STRIKE BACK and MOONFLEET; comedies including STELLA, DOLL & EM and MOONE BOY; and factual shows as diverse as 50 WAYS TO KILL YOUR MAMMY, THE SOUTH BANK SHOW and ROSS KEMP EXTREME WORLD.

-ENDS-

Notes to editor:

For more information contact: 
Rachel Tate                                                                          
Senior Publicist, Sky 1 HD                                    
T: +44 (0)20 7032 6481
rachel.tate@bskyb.com                                        

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