Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: Death at the White Hart, doctor who

Doctor Who Ex-Showrunner Chibnall's New Novel Set for Series Adapt

Death at the White Hart, the first book by former Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, has been picked up by ITV for a TV series adaptation.

If you've been wondering what former Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall has been up to, the answer is here: he wrote a murder mystery novel called Death at the White Hart that will be made into a TV series on ITV. Chibnall will script and showrunner the television adaptation of the book, which will be published in the UK later in March and in the US in June. ITV probably picked up the rights to the book when it was still in galley form.

Death at the White Hart: Chibnall's Return to "Broadchurch" Territory

Death at the White Hart is set in the Dorset village of Fleetcombe, where the village pub's landlord is found murdered. Detective Nicola Bridge must unpick a web of lies and rivalries to unmask the killer. Nothing keeps a village together like secrets. The villagers of Fleetcombe like to think of it as one of the most picturesque spots on England's coast. But now, it's a disturbingly macabre crime scene. A man is found dead, tied to a chair in the middle of the road, a stag's antlers on his head. The gruesome scene stuns the town, especially when the victim is identified: Jim Tiernan, who ran the White Hart pub. Tierney's pub is at the center of village life – and he knew everyone's secrets.

Detective Nicola Bridge grew up in Fleetcombe and has now returned, for the good of her family, from a life away in Liverpool. DC Harry Ward is ten years younger and, despite his newcomer status, determined to earn Nicola's trust. Because they don't have long to crack the storybook façade and find out just what the people of Fleetcombe have to hide. And now, in the place she thought she knew so well, Detective Nicola Bridge is asking questions. Is she ready for what she's about to find? It's all Death at the White Hart

Death at the White Hart was commissioned by ITV drama boss Polly Hill. Chibnall said: "Polly's dynamic vote of confidence in Death At The White Hart made it a no-brainer to bring the novel to the screen with ITV. Within this cliffhanger-packed murder mystery sits a specifically British story about how people live their lives right now. There's no better home for it than ITV."

Death at the White Hart will be produced by the former Doctor Who showrunner's Imaginary Friends Productions, along with Death in Paradise maker Red Planet Pictures. ITV said Red Planet secured the deal with Imaginary Friends in a highly competitive landscape, "with multiple offers for the rights from production companies and buyers worldwide." The novel is the first of a two book deal in the UK and U.S. for Chibnall.

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