Motherland meets Black Doves: Tall Tales & Murder is the “dark and delicious” crime drama coming to the BBC

Crime drama and comedy fans, listen up! A new series with a “dark and delicious” comedic twist is coming to the BBC and it goes by the name of Tall Tales & Murder. The Ireland-set series features stars of Black Doves, Motherland and Peaky Blinders - and quite frankly, going by the cast alone, our expectations are pretty high.

Fortunately, the creative team is on-point, too. The drama has been written by Stuart Carolan, who wrote and created smash-hit crime drama Love/Hate, and is co-created with Chris Addison, of Breeders and The Thick of It fame. The story is based on the much loved eight-book (and confusingly-titled) Dublin Trilogy by Caimh McDonnell - and the team have obviously done something right because it’s already been green-lit for a second series before the first has even aired.

While we patiently await the arrival of Tall Tales & Murder on our screens, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming series, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.

What is Tall Tales & Murder about?

The series is an adaptation of the popular books by Irish author Caimh McDonnell’s The Dublin Trilogy. While we don’t know which book – or storylines – will be the focus yet, they all follow the adventures of an unlikely crime-solving trio, which includes Bunny McGarry, a character who McDonnell has described as “Ireland’s most truly unconventional police officer”. We sense some mischief and mayhem ahead!

Writer and Executive producer Stuart Carolan has said "it’s been incredible fun working with him to bring this insane story to life," while Chris Addison, Director and Executive Producer, added: “I’m frankly giddy with delight to get to team up with the twisted and highly original mind of Stuart Carolan to create this show. We’ve taken Caimh’s wonderful novel as a jumping off point and ended up with what I like to think of as a dark and delicious screwball drama.”

BBC Northern Ireland and RTÉ have commissioned two six-part series of the new drama and Eddie Doyle, Head of Content Commissioning at BBC Northern Ireland, has teased that it's "storytelling at its darkest, funniest and most surreal."

He continued: "We’re looking forward to bringing audiences with us on this wild and thrilling ride from Stuart Carolan and Chris Addison, masters of their craft. There’s a fantastic cast already on board and we can’t wait to work with Avalon, in association with Metropolitan Pictures, and RTÉ to take it from script to screen.”

Who’s starring in Tall Tales & Murder?

The cast of Tall Tales & Murder includes:

• Ella Lily Hyland (Black Doves, Towards Zero)
• Aidan Gillen (Love/Hate, Game of Thrones)
• Philippa Dunne (Amandaland, Derry Girls)
• Packy Lee (Peaky Blinders)

Are Caimh McDonnell's books any good?

Yes – Caimh McDonnell’s The Dublin Trilogy books have been a huge hit. Don’t let the word “trilogy” throw you off, though, as there are eight books in the series. Set in Dublin, they revole around the crime-solving trio of Paul Mulchrone, Brigit Conroy, and Bunny McGarry. McDonnell himself has TV writing experience – and is a former stand-up comedian – so you can expect the series to have plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

How can I watch Tall Tales & Murder?

The BBC hasn't yet shared a release date for Tall Tales & Murder, but we do know that filming started earlier this year in June – and that it’s set to air in 2026 on the BBC. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we'll share it here.

What other crime dramas can I watch now?

Love a murder mystery with a comic twist? The BBC's Death Valley comes from Motherland director Simon Hynd and follows two "unlikely" individuals teaming up to form a cosy crime-detecting duo. Alternatively, try the brilliant comedy-mystery series starring Anna Maxwell-Martin and David Mitchell, Ludwig, which follows a puzzle creator attempting to track down his missing detective brother. Series 1 is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.