Vancouver mini-studio Lionsgate has joined with Munich-based Tandem Communications in a co-venture agreement to develop and produce one-hour drama series.

The companies’ first project in development is crime drama Sex, Lies and Handwriting, which “is intended to follow a straight-to-series model similar to [English-language German TV series] Crossing Lines,” according to a release Monday.

Sea to Sky Entertainment, the joint TV venture between Lionsgate and Vancouver’s Thunderbird Films, will also produce the project.

Inspired by Michelle Dresbold’s book of the same name, Sex, Lies and Handwriting follows an accomplished artist and handwriting expert – who also pens a newspaper column on the subject – as she is drawn into solving crimes because of her skills.

The crime drama will be written by co-exec producer Annie Brunner (Saving Grace). Nancy Miller is showrunner and exec producer. Also exec producing, in addition to Tandem and Lionsgate principals, are Jeff Sagansky, Sunta Izaccupa and Chris Barrett.

On the TV side, Lionsgate is behind current primetime series like Mad Men, Anger Management, Nashville and Orange is the New Black. The company, in a move to further expand its TV business last year pacted with former company founder Frank Guistra and Thunderbird Films to form 50-50 TV development and production venture Sea to Sky Entertainment.

German production company Tandem Communications was launched in 1999 by Rola Bauer and Tim Halkin, with Jonas Bauer becoming partner in 2007. French production and distribution company StudioCanal took a majority stake in the company in 2011.

Tandem develops, finances and produces primetime scripted programming, with a slate that includes The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. Its most recent one-hour procedural crime series, Crossing Lines, starring Donald Sutherland, was sold to NBC for summer, and is slated to premiere on CBC this fall.