Great news for fans of the hit BBC comedy-drama mystery series “Lovejoy”! The beloved show, which originally aired from 1986 to 1994 and starred Ian McShane, is set to make a comeback. See-Saw Films, the British production company behind projects like “Slow Horses” and “Heartstopper,” has acquired the rights to adapt John Grant’s original detective novels, written under the pen name Jonathan Gash.
Plans are in motion for a contemporary reimagining of the series, which will bring back the charming and roguish antiques dealer Lovejoy, known for his knack for identifying genuine antiques and his fourth wall-breaking antics. The original series, which also featured Chris Jury, Dudley Sutton, Phyllis Logan, and Malcolm Tierney, ran for 71 episodes over six series.
The new adaptation will be led by executive producers Lisa Gilchrist, Helen Gregory, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, and Simon Gillis from See-Saw, along with John Grant and his agent Lisa Moylett. The deal was finalized by Simon Gillis and Laura Mazzola from See-Saw and Sheila David from Catapult Rights Limited on behalf of Dr. Grant.
In addition to “Lovejoy,” See-Saw has a diverse range of TV and film projects in the works, including the hit series “Sweetpea” and the upcoming Australian legal drama “The Great White.” On the film side, they have Apple TV’s “Tenzing,” a biopic of Tenzing Norgay starring Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe, in the pipeline. They are also developing a new film series based on the beloved children’s novel “The Neverending Story” and a biopic of Sinead O’Connor.
Exciting developments like these are sure to delight fans of the original “Lovejoy” series. Stay tuned for more updates on this highly anticipated revival. [Variety’s sister publication Deadline was the first to report on the “Lovejoy” news.]
