Sherlock meets Line of Duty: Bookish is the "surefire hit" detective drama with an unconventional twist

We're calling it: it's going to be a summer of exceptional TV and there's one crime drama in particular that's got us extremely excited. Introducing Bookish, the highly-anticipated new series coming to UKTV’s U&Alibi, which combines stars of Line of Duty and Sherlock - and has a slightly unconventional twist. In fact, series commissioner Helen Perry is already calling it a "surefire hit".

The cosy crime drama will introduce us to a 1940’s bookshop owner who solves crimes - and it's no ordinary whodunnit period piece. Gabriel Book (Sherlock's Mark Gatiss) also has a secret: he's gay at a time when homosexuality is illegal in England, and he’s in a “lavender” marriage of convenience with his best friend, Trottie Book (Polly Walker).

Mark, who's serving as both star and creator, originally conceived and wrote the story as a novel, before it was decided it would be turned into a screenplay instead. And such is the broadcaster’s confidence in it being a smash hit, that they’ve made the unusual step of renewing the show for a second series before the first has even hit screens.

Ahead of the series arriving on our screens this summer, here's everything we know so far about the unconventional crime drama, including plot, cast and how to tune in.

What is Bookish about?

Gabriel Book (Mark Gatiss) and Trottie Book (Polly Walker), a married couple, own a bookshop, but they're not your typical bookshop owners. You see, there's a twist, as Gabriel also moonlights as a covert sleuth, cracking puzzling crime cases alongside the local police.

At the beginning of the series, Gabriel and Trottie take in a young man called Jack (Connor Finch), as an “act of altruism”, as they want to give the “jailbird” a second chance. Jack soon becomes a worthy assistant and even helps out in the Books' murder investigations, however, the synopsis warns: “it becomes clear that Jack’s appointment wasn’t quite as random as it at first appears.”

The series has also been billed as having “a complex mystery at the heart of every story, featuring a wealth of well-known guest stars, marrying post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life affirming atmosphere of the times”.

UKTV's Head of Drama, Helen Perry, says: "Mark's unique detective thriller is full of wit and heart, with a central platonic love story that is sure to enthral audiences. And because Book is a gay man, at a time when it was illegal to be so, we are proud that the drama shines a light on an important LGBTQ+ story."

She added: "The star-studded cast [production company] Eagle Eye have already put together is tribute to the sure-fire hit Bookish is to become."

The first series will feature three storylines, each told across two episodes of the six-part show.

Who's starring in Bookish?

As well as Sherlock's Mark Gatiss as the titular Book, the all-star cast includes:

• Polly Walker as Trottie Book
• Elliot Levey as Inspector Bliss
• Connor Finch as Jack
• Buket Kömür as Nora
• Daniel Mays — as seen in Line Of Duty and recently, A Thousand Blows
• Blake Harrison
• Joely Richardson
• Jonas Nay
• Rosie Cavaliero
• Jacob Fortune-Lloyd
• Tom Forbes
• Amanda Drew
• Michael Workéyè
• Ella Bruccoleri
• Luke Norris

​​How can I watch Bookish?

UKTV has confirmed that Bookish will start on Wednesday July 16 at 8pm with a double bill.

Will there be a Bookish series 2?

Yes, Mark has teased that there will be more “fiendish crimes” for his protagonist in series two. When the announcement was made about the recommission, he added: “I’m thrilled that the team at U&alibi are allowing me to dive back into the world of Bookish and create more fiendish crimes for Gabriel Book and the team to solve.

“I can’t wait for viewers to immerse themselves in the world we’ve created when the first series airs in a few months’ time.”

While we don't yet have a release date for series 2, we do know that filming for the second series will begin this summer. The spin-off book, written by Matthew Sweet and also titled Bookish, will be released in July and will tell the crime stories from Nora’s perspective.