A new Apple TV+ show called Down Cemetery Road has found its two main leads. Down Cemetery Road is the first novel in Mick Herron’s Oxford series, and was originally published in 2003. Herron is also known for writing the 2010 novel Slow Horses, which received its own television adaptation starting in 2022.
Now, Apple TV+ has announced their development of a TV adaptation of Down Cemetery Road, with its leading cast announced. At the front of Down Cemetery Road will be Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson. Thompson will play Oxford private eye Zoe Boehm, and Wilson will play Sarah Tucker. Wilson’s character is described to be a person “who becomes obsessed with the whereabouts of a child she believes to have gone missing.” Morwenna Banks will be the lead writer and executive producer of the series. Jay Hunt, the creative director of Apple TV+ Europe, offered the following words on the project:
Both Thompson and Wilson are powerhouse choices to lead the way in Down Cemetery Road. Thompson is coming off of a recent Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her work in the 2022 film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. She is also a behind-the-scenes talent, having won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing Sense and Sensibility. Wilson is a BAFTA nominee who is best known for her work playing the role of Alice Morgan in Luther. These accolades justify Hunt’s confidence in the soon-to-be co-stars.
Down Cemetery Road will be a return to the universe of Herron. Like Slow Horses, the novel version of Down Cemetery Road is a mystery that balances dark themes with wit, bringing a writing style that Hunt describes as “funny and acerbic.” Slow Horses has done well since its release, gaining a multi-season renewal as well as BAFTA nominations. Working again with Herron’s writing as well as Slow Horses talent Banks, the recently-formed Down Cemetery Road team can hopefully make another great series.
Though its renewal will be contingent upon its performance, Down Cemetery Road is already well-positioned to spread its story over multiple seasons. This is by virtue of the novel being part of the Oxford Investigations series. Herron released multiple books in this series, including four main novels and two short-story based books. Thus, Down Cemetery Road, if successful, has copious source material to go off of as the creators embark on the new Apple TV+ series.
Source: Apple TV+